Local Government

My time as the head of a large City Council’s in-house legal team has seen me advise on some of Aotearoa | New Zealand’s highest profile local government legal issues.  This includes the failed Bella Vista development, the replacement of the Tauranga City Council with Commissioners and Tauranga’s contentious begging ban.

My experience has given me a unique insight into the operation of local authorities, and the overlapping and complex legal frameworks that Councils operate under.  This includes Building Act, RMA, Privacy Act and Official Information matters.  I have a particular passion for public law matters and including local authority governance, and have considerable experience dealing with internal and central government inquiries. 

I also understand the challenges facing local authority in-house lawyers and executive-level management, and the importance of identifying wider objectives and context when providing legal advice to the local government sector.