I am active in the media on issues such as urban development, climate change, transport and tourism. See below all my recent media articles and interviews.

In the media

Newspaper opinion pieces

My opinion pieces have been published in The Nelson Mail, the Waimea Weekly, Mapua’s Coastal News, as well as The Press and The Post, some with nationwide distribution.

Jun 01 2026

OPINION: It was a long but valuable day hearing directly from our

Several submitters called for a pause – or at least a reset – with a stronger focus on renewals, maintenance, and making better use of the assets we already have. That (…)

Nov 01 2025

OPINION: The proposed Hope Bypass – a 1960s-style highway upgrade to Richmond’s main arterial route – is projected to cost between $1.1 billion and $1.4 billion for just 4km of road.

While there’s no doubt that Richmond’s lower Queen Street (…)

Sep 01 2025

OPINION: The Balance Sheet – The Council’s primary costs lie in providing and maintaining the infrastructure that supports our district. These include capital expenses (CAPEX) – one-off costs for assets like roads or underground pipes that deliver long-term benefits – and (…)

Aug 30 2025

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The closure of the Eves Valley sawmill, with 142 workers set to lose their jobs, is a heavy blow to Tasman. Carter Holt Harvey is consolidating operations to Kawerau, which can now supply construction timber for all of New Zealand.

This is not just about one mill. It is a case study (…)

Aug 22 2025

Golden Bay is one of my favourite places in New Zealand – for its relaxed atmosphere, strong community spirit and unspoilt natural environment. From the charm of Collingwood to the bustle of Tākaka, this part of the district is truly unique. But even here, pressure is mounting. (…)

Aug 01 2025

OPINION: When you realise that you’re losing a battle, doubling down with the same tactics is rarely the smart move. Good commanders pull back, protect what matters and negotiate new ground rules. For more than a century, we’ve been fighting to (…)

Jul 01 2025

OPINION: As the world around us becomes increasingly unpredictable, New Zealand may need to reassess and redefine its position within the global fabric. The security of a rules-based world order and the stability of (…)

Jun 01 2025

OPINION: It is Monday night. Māpua Hall is bursting at its seams. Predominantly older village residents and some of Tasman District Council’s councillors squeeze into the hall to find out more about the future of Māpua – to receive an update on the work-in-progress Māpua Design Guide. The village residents have pleaded (…)

Jun 01 2025

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Smith keeps musing about the amalgamation of Nelson’s and Tasman’s councils, highlighting potential savings through administrative efficiencies, the de facto integration of both economies and communities and the prospect for better decision-making. More than 74% of Tasman’s voters rejected this proposal (…)

Apr 27 2025

OPINION: In a bid to address New Zealand’s housing affordability crisis, Minister of Housing Chris Bishop recently announced a policy shift to allow bigger “granny flats” to be built without consents and a requirement for (…)

Mar 22 2025

OPINION: A recent article about Christchurch being the new townhouse capital of New Zealand made me think about building activity in our Nelson Tasman region. In Christchurch, where townhouses are now built at scale, these typologies sell (…)

Jan 20 2025

OPINION: Having just returned from walking the brutal, yet incredibly scenic, Alpine Route in Tasman’s Mount Richmond Forest Park with my 15 year old son, I can attest that we have a problem. As much as I love the international (…)

Dec 11 2024

OPINION: A recent social media post about a biking incident landed me in the middle of a culture war that is raging in the minds of Nelsonians and Richmondites.

It’s a war in which motorists see cyclists as “entitled road lice”, where cyclists describe motorists as ignorant tank (…)

Nov 30 2024

OPINION: The Nelson region needs its fair share of transport investment. For years we have been neglected while significant transport funding has gone elsewhere.

Finally there appears to be cross-party consensus that the Hope Bypass (or the (…)

Sep 23 2024

OPINION: It might sound really odd, coming from an urban designer, but I agree with Housing Minister Christopher Bishop on this: we need to remove development risks and unnecessary costs from urban intensification. In times of housing, cost of living and climate crises, we have to provide housing (…)

Sep 01 2024

Tasman’s councillors Stuart Bryant and Kit Maling defend plans for urban sprawl on highly productive land while incorrectly calling intensification “extremely expensive” and opposed to common good.

Timo Neubauer calls for their returement. (…)

Aug 24 2024

“Misinformation” is a serious charge. In times of Trumpian “alternative facts” and especially when my professional integrity is questioned, this accusation cannot go unanswered.

While I can comfortably substantiate every statement made in my article, it appears that deputy mayor Stuart (…)

Aug 12 2024

OPINION: In 2022, the Tasman District Council (TDC) engaged with the public on its idea of “Reimagining Richmond South”.

The results: residents reminded council that this area was actually called Hope. (…)

Jul 20 2024

OPINION: Nelson’s Plan Change 29 (PC29) thriller continues.

The City Council published the sequel to its consultation documents, its Section 42A reports, three weeks ago. The action-packed title of this work, I have to (…)

Jun 23 2024

OPINION: New Zealand housing is expensive and Nelson Tasman is one of the priciest markets in the country. (…)

Apr 13 2024

OPINION: Tasman is a growing district. The way we provide for this growth has a significant impact on liveability, climate resilience and the economic sustainability of our district. (…)

Mar 14 2024

OPINION: Councils not only need to measure community emissions, they need to take responsibility for a large part of these, writes Timo Neubauer. (…)

Mar 01 2024

OPINION: I was looking forward to Tasman District Council’s Mapua Masterplan for Mapua. After the flawed piecemeal approach of the past, an integrated masterplan is just what the village needs to deal withthe various demands, growth prospects and the threats (…)

Jan 31 2024

OPINION: I agree with the Mayor of Nelson, Dr Nick Smith, that we should consider amalgamating Nelson City and Tasman District Councils. Nelson’s urban economic area stretches from Wakefield (…)

Nov 11 2023

OPINION: Retailers in Nelson’s city centre are struggling. There is stiff competition for the spending power of our region’s residents and visitors from car-focussed, easy-to-access Richmond mall. (…)

Oct 23 2023

OPINION: Plan Change 29 appears to divide Nelson in two camps: proponents of intensification, and those who are worried about the physical effects that such policy might have on established residential properties and the future look and feel of our town. (…)

Jun 17 2023

OPINION: It is official: Waka Kotahi, New Zealand’s Transport Agency, is not acting “unreasonably” when it shows contempt for best practice, disregards its own design guidelines and destroys our towns’ and cities’ unique character in the name (…)

Apr 28 2023

OPINION: Like most Qualmark-accredited tourism businesses, we have just received our first bill in a long time – our first ever, as we joined Qualmark during the Covid-19 fee-free period. Before that we simply deemed the fee too high for our family-run business. (…)

May 13 2022

OPINION: Am I ultra-conservative and insensitive to social injustice, because I see carbon pricing as an essential tool for tackling the climate crisis? I generally don’t identify as right-wing (quite the opposite, actually) (…)

Mar 19 2022

OPINION: Are you feeling the pinch at the pump? The dramatic petrol price increases following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlight New Zealand’s vulnerability and our dependence on imported hydrocarbons. The bad news: High petrol prices are here to stay. (…)

Nov 06 2021

OPINION: Last week Tasman District Council pressed the button on developing a structure plan for Richmond South and Hope, paving the way for up to 2000 new Berryfields-style homes – more low density greenfield (…)

Newspaper articles

From time to time journalists request my opinion on topics related to urban design and planning in the Nelson Tasman regions or they cover my contributions to the discourse.

May 25 2026

It’s uncertain what Tasman’s greenfield growth will cost ratepayers over the long term, but council staff aren’t estimating any extra bills for the general population.

On Thursday, the district council’s elected members got an (…)

Sep 26 2025

In the run-up to the October local elections, the Nelson Mail is asking candidates for their views on some of the region’s big issues – and to answer each question in no more than 50 words. Here is what the five people vying for the position as Tasman’s Mayor had to say. (…)

Sep 24 2025

In the run-up to the October local elections, the Nelson Mail is asking candidates for their views on some of the region’s big issues – and to answer each question in no more than 50 words. Here is what the six people vying for the Tasman District Council Richmond (…)

Sep 23 2025

A plan change that would grow eight settlements across the Tasman district allowing for around 3000 homes – and the intensification of six towns – is to be notified by the Tasman District Council. Last week the council’s strategy and policy committee approved (…)

Sep 22 2025

Tim King’s two terms as Tasman’s mayor have been put under the spotlight as his competitors in the mayoral race and members of the public scrutinise the council he leads. The third-term-seeking incumbent was joined by his four opponents, who were (…)

Sep 22 2025

Timo Neubauer’s bid for the Tasman mayoralty comes without having served on a council, but he sees that as a plus. The urban designer and architect said he had thought about just standing for Council first – he is also running for (…)

Sep 19 2025

Less than a month before the election and behind closed doors, Tasman District Council has chosen to try and forge ahead with its plans to re-zone swathes of the district. Mayoral candidate and Hope-based urban designer Timo Neubauer has criticised the decision after he presented to (…)

Sep 17 2025

A trust in continuity or a chance for change? That was the distinct local government choice put in front of Richmond residents on Friday. At an event hosted by the Rotary Club of Richmond, five of the six ward candidates introduced themselves to a (…)

Sep 05 2025

Two of Tasman’s mayoral candidates have said they are on the fence about a controversial goldmine project at Sams Creek in Golden Bay.

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, Forest & Bird and (…)

Sep 01 2025

Tasman’s five mayoral candidates have come face-to-face and head-to-head when it comes to finance. At a meet the candidates event in Wakefield on Monday night, rates and debt emerged as key issues for several candidates, except Money Free Party leader Richard Osmaston, who referred to money as (…)

Aug 27 2025

Tasman District Council’s most populous town of Richmond gets four councillors to represent it, but six people are hoping to be elected in the ward.

All the town’s incumbent councillors – Glen Daikee, Jo Ellis, Mark Greening, and Kit Maling are seeking re-election – while mayoral (…)

Aug 05 2025

Nominations for Tasman’s local election closed on Friday and 28 people have thrown their hats into the ring for the 14 positions around council table.

Five people are vying for the mayoralty: incumbent second-term mayor Tim King along with Maxwell Clark, Richard Johns, Timo Neubauer, and Richard (…)

Aug 01 2025

Tasman’s mayoral race is heating up as a quintuplet of contenders have put their names forward for the top job in the recently flood ravaged region.

After months of keeping his intentions quiet, Tim King is seeking a third term. (…)

May 2025, page 68

Timo Neubauer has worked as an architect and urban designer in Europe, the UK, the Middle East, Auckland and Christchurch. Despite all the opportunities that are out there for someone with his skills and qualifications, he is proud to call Tasman home. He talked to Matt Lawrey about how he ended up here and why a certain photograph means so much to him. (…)

May 07 2025

Hope-based urban designer and agri-tourism lodge owner Timo Neubauer has become the first person to throw his hat into the ring for Tasman’s mayoralty in the upcoming election.

Timo is no stranger to the council chamber, having made numerous submissions on (…)

Mar 28 2025

A plan to grow a seaside Tasman village by rezoning and allowing hundreds of homes to be built has been described as a ‘melanoma’ by one of many people opposing it.

Councillors at a hearing of the draft Māpua masterplan on Wednesday heard from a full spectrum of submitters, from (…)

Mar 23 2025

Māpua residents are pushing back on development plans amid concerns that the “village feel” of their hometown is at risk.

On Wednesday, Tasman District Council held its hearing on the draft masterplan for the seaside town and submitters (…)

Mar 08 2025

A petition with 400 signatures has been presented to Tasman District Council opposing plans for light industrial and mixed business zones in the small rural community of Hope, just south of Nelson. (…)

Feb 25 2025

Around 100 people came together on Saturday to learn more about a plan to let businesses set up shop around the Tasman settlement of Hope.

Residents gathered at their local hall to probe Tasman (…)

Feb 04 2025

A Hope resident and an urban designer have joined forces to organise a meeting about planned development in Hope, in a bid to protect land that grows the food and think differently about development.

Garry Higgins is hoping (…)

Jan 22 2025

Seafood gatherers not taking the bait is proving an unwanted catch for the organisers of an “incredibly” supported, yet-to-be-launched, seafood market at Port Nelson.

In October last year, Nelson Weekly first reported Timo Neubauer, his wife Olivia, and Lisa Dunker’s plans for a market of this type in (…)

Oct 30 2024

Anchoring the Top of the South aquaculture sector is the target for three novice skippers of a kaimoana (seafood) market.

Husband and wife Timo and Olivia Neubauer along with Lisa Dunker are the steering group behind Nelson Fish Market at Port Nelson this summer to celebrate local (…)

Sep 04 2024

If there’s one thing Nelsonians value above all else, it appears to be sunshine, and they will rally en masse to protect it.

Residents claim the city’s reputation as New Zealand’s (…)

Aug 29 2024

The intent of controversial Plan Change 29 is good – but a lack of design could lead to poor quality housing, a Nelson City Council panel has been warned.

Two weeks of hearings (…)

Jul 25 2024

Nelson’s proposed new housing density rules proved controversial amongst the community, and the council’s new suite of recommendations are no different. (…)

Jul 03 2024

As Nelson overhauls its planning rules to cater for future population growth, a Government proposal to make it easier to build granny flats is receiving a mixed response. (…)

Jul 21 2023

A Tasman-based urban designer says the Nelson-Tasman region has one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the country and needs a better model for intensification similar to the two or three-storied neighbourhoods in Europe. (…)

Jun 07 2023

A Tasman urban designer is disappointed with the Ombudsman’s decision that Waka Kotahi’s felling of 13 trees on Motueka’s High Street in 2021 was not “unreasonable”.

Timo Neubauer, who (…)

Mar 13 2023

Backyard housing intensification is a dead end, a flash flooding risk and lacks green space or privacy, say a Nelson architect and an urban designer. Urban designer Timo Neubauer and architect William Samuels, who (…)

Mar 11 2023

Climate groups are calling on the Environment Minister to investigate council housing plans they fear will put greenhouse gas (GHG) commitments beyond reach. The groups said the Nelson City (…)

Sep 01 2021

An experienced urban designer is calling on the Office of the Auditor-General and the Ombudsman to investigate after a “catastrophic loss of streetscape value” in Motueka. (…)

Aug 27 2021

A flyover should not be considered as an option to help manage traffic in and around rapidly growing Richmond, says experienced urban designer (…)

Aug 13 2021

Mature street trees were a vital component of an attractive streetscape and created a safer pedestrian environment. They worked like gates, signposting the town centre and made the street appear narrower, which led to slower (…)

Fresh FM Radio interviews

Fresh Start Friday with Grant Knowles from Fresh FM’s Golden Bay studio

Tim and I back-to-back on FreshFM! On Friday morning, Grant Knowles hosted Tim King and me for a lively “Fresh Start Friday” double-header. We got into council finances, rates caps, river management – and even some personal chat.

In her Fresh FM radio show “Building Bridges 101” Christin Schäffner interviews me on topics such as future-proofing urban development, public participation in planning mechanisms, urban design concepts as well as my neighbourhood petition in Hope. Listen to podcasts of her 30min shows.

Mar 21 2025

In episode 10 I talk about my petition to save productive land and the village of Hope, but also highlight the importance of integrity in public office – and how a lack of this erodes public trust in our democratic institutions.

Jan 17 2025

In episode 07 I explain the benefits of neighbourhood plans, perimeter block urban form, resilience and better urban design in general.

Jan 03 2025

In episode 06 Christin interviews me on the topic of future-proofing urban development. I discuss efforts to influence local government policy with a focus on the pitfalls of urban sprawl and better approaches to urban intensification.