Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink: The bottled water cases
20/02/2024
The extent to which the proposed end use of water (rather than just the effects on the environment of extracting the water) can be considered when granting consent has been a hotly contested issue in resource management law for some time.
Natural and Built Environments Act: Top 5 Things You Need to Know
17/08/2023
The replacements for the Resource Management Act 1991, the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBEA) 2023 and the Spatial Planning Act 2023 passed their third reading on 17 August 2023 and are expected to receive Royal Assent next week.
The Waterfront Apartments insurance exclusion saga
12/08/2023
In Local Government Mutual Funds Trustee Limited v Napier City Council [2023] NZSC 97 the Supreme Court delivered a decisive judgment in a long running dispute over whether an exclusion clause in an insurance policy excluded cover for non-weathertightness building defects.
Auckland Anniversary Flooding – What Happens Next?
31/01/2023
After the immediate clean-up, the legal, financial, and planning policy ramifications of this flooding event will live on. No-one has enough information yet to know just what the consequences of this event will be. However, we set out below some of our thoughts on the likely implications. We comment on issues that arise out of insurance claims and that relate to planning policy in Auckland.
RMA Reform- Guide to the Spatial Planning and Natural and Built Environment Bills
29/11/2022
New Zealand’s planning and environmental laws have for a long time struggled with finding the balance between protecting our natural environment and level of urban amenity, while also providing sensible mechanisms to promote development and economic growth. To tackle this the Government has introduced the Natural and Built Environment Bill (NBE Bill) and the Spatial Planning Bill (SP Bill) to Parliament as proposed replacements for the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
Keeping up with RMA Reform – July 2022 Consultations
17/06/2022
There is a lot going on in the RMA sphere with law reform and consultation on national guidance instruments. From indigenous biodiversity to three waters reform, here are some key dates for consultations closing in July to be aware of.
Top 5 things that your business can do now to get ready for the upcoming environmental law reform process
29/05/2022
The government has announced that the RMA will be repealed and replaced by the end of the current Parliamentary term. The RMA governs how business that use or affect our land, air, water or natural or coastal resources can operate. What emerges from the upcoming law reform process will shape how many businesses operate, and also how New Zealanders live, work, and play for many decades. If you want to engage effectively in the upcoming process, then it is important to get ready now.