Robert Schofield celebrates 25 years at Boffa Miskell

Robert is known for his generous spirit and sense of humour as well as his encyclopaedic knowledge.

Robert has been the principal Planner on a range of large-scale transport and infrastructure projects. He was the lead planner for the consenting phase of the M2PP expressway, and for the Design and Construction Alliance behind Transmission Gully.

Among his current roles, Robert is the principal planner for CentrePort’s regeneration projects such as the Seaview Wharf renewal, as well as the lead planner for KiwiRail’s Interislander Ferry Terminal Redevelopment at Kaiwharawhara.

An experienced project manager and expert witness, Robert regularly provides evidence before council hearings and the Environment Court.

He has described his work as “… making sure that all assessments are undertaken robustly and carefully; and that if there’s ever a challenge, we can tell the story behind the thinking — to explain in a sort of common-sense way, why a road or a piece of infrastructure has to be here and not there.”

Urban planner Marc Baily says, “Robert is the ‘planner’s planner’ – he is people-centric and naturally tuned-into and genuinely interested in the people around him and for whom his planning advice or decisions affect.”

Robert joined Boffa Miskell in 1997. He recalls that, “I believed that working collaboratively with the special mix of expertise within the company every day – landscape designers, landscape planners, ecologists, urban designers – would provide a synergy of knowledge and expertise that would underpin my own professional direction and interests. And so it has proved.”

Greg Vossler worked closely with Robert for several years in the Wellington office. He says, “Robert is a consummate professional who’s well-up for any planning related challenge — the gnarlier the better. His warm collegiality, gregariousness and generosity of spirit is legion, as is his propensity to give all those around him a nickname (whether they like it or not).

“Robert’s penchant for grammatical pedantry has earned him the title ‘Dr Bob’ amongst colleagues near and wide. It’s a title he’s proud to wear, supplemented by a ready openness to share his knowledge with any who are interested.”

Robert has invested much of his own time and energy in the New Zealand Planning Institute. In 2008, he was made a Fellow and recognised for Distinguished Service; and in 2018 he received the John Mawson Award of Merit.

Boyden Evans says, “Robert has long nurtured young planners throughout the wider profession, and within Boffa Miskell he has provided guidance and opportunities to young colleagues.

“He has passed on key clients with whom he has worked for many years, providing gentle support and direction and thus enabling his colleagues to also develop strong working relationships with these clients.”

Andrew Cumberpatch has first-hand experience of Robert’s mentoring. “I have had the pleasure of working with Robert on a Transpower substation project in Cambridge for the last couple of years,” he says. “Having Robert to help oversee a project of this scale and complexity has been a massive advantage. He has been able to identify numerous learnings from similar previous projects, and I see why he is one of Transpower’s trusted advisors.

“Robert has a wealth of knowledge, and he always makes himself available to help others and impart his expertise. As a practising commissioner, Robert has a clear understanding of what is important and what isn’t,” Andrew continues. “Importantly too, Robert has an awesome sense of humour and is a lot of fun to work with.”

His advice is often sought by Council departments looking to build well-structured teams on some of the country’s complex planning projects; and Robert’s non-planning colleagues regularly seek his assistance on planning-related matters, resource management legislation, resource consent and Environment Court decisions; all value his guidance and the clarity of his explanations.

But for those who know him, it is Robert’s generosity and kindness that set him apart. IT Manager Andrew Scrivens recalls:

“I first met Robert (Robo) nearly 20 years ago, on my first trip down to Wellington. Robert was concerned that I shouldn’t be staying at a YMCA– as some of the staff were doing back in the day – so he offered his place overnight.

As IT does its best work when no one is in the office, I warned him that it could be rather late by the time I would finish. Robo was not concerned and gave me a key to let myself in. Sure enough, I crept in at some ungodly hour like about 10:30pm; only to find him still up, handing me a glass of red wine and cooking me a full-on steak dinner.

“He then proceeded to regale me with lots of humorous stories about himself, and life in general, until it was well after midnight and I had to apologise and crash,” Andrew continues.

“That has stuck with me to this day. Robo is obviously very good at his job; but he’s a guy that thinks of other people and makes sure they are content, if even if it puts himself out there to do it.”