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252: When an alternate Environment Judge may act
or “A backup judge can fill in when the main judge says it's needed and becomes part of the court team.”
You could also call this:

“The Attorney-General chooses people with different skills to help make decisions about the environment.”

When the Attorney-General is choosing someone to be an Environment Commissioner or Deputy Environment Commissioner for the Environment Court, they need to think about making sure the court has people with different types of knowledge and experience. This is important because the court deals with many different kinds of issues.

The Attorney-General should look for people who know about:

Money matters, business, local government, and community affairs. Planning, looking after resources, and protecting important historical places. Environmental science, including both the natural world and how people interact with it. Building and design, including architecture, engineering, surveying, working with minerals, and construction. Ways to solve disagreements without going to court. Things related to the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori principles and practices.

By choosing people with these different skills, the Environment Court can better understand and make decisions about the various issues it needs to deal with.

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Next up: 254: Appointment of Environment Commissioner or Deputy Environment Commissioner

or “The Governor-General chooses people to help decide about the environment for up to 5 years.”
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Part 11 Environment Court
Environment Commissioners and Deputy Environment Commissioners

253Eligibility for appointment as Environment Commissioner or Deputy Environment Commissioner

  1. When considering whether a person is suitable to be appointed as an Environment Commissioner or Deputy Environment Commissioner of the Environment Court, the Attorney-General shall have regard to the need to ensure that the court possesses a mix of knowledge and experience in matters coming before the court, including knowledge and experience in—

  2. economic, commercial, and business affairs, local government, and community affairs:
    1. planning, resource management, and heritage protection:
      1. environmental science, including the physical and social sciences:
        1. architecture, engineering, surveying, minerals technology, and building construction:
          1. alternative dispute resolution processes:
            1. matters relating to the Treaty of Waitangi and kaupapa Maori.

              Notes
              • Section 253 heading: amended, on , pursuant to section 6(2)(c) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 160).
              • Section 253: amended, on , by section 4 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2007 (2007 No 77).
              • Section 253: amended, on , pursuant to section 6(2)(a) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 160).
              • Section 253: amended, on , pursuant to section 6(2)(c) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 160).
              • Section 253(da): inserted, on , by section 8 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 160).