Overview
Freshwater management is one of the key issues facing New Zealand. What was traditionally seen as an abundant resource is now a highly valued and frequently scare resource. The multitude of social, economic, cultural and environmental interests associated with water and wastewater management make it an area where skilled legal advice can significantly reduce project risks and enhance the value of consented outcomes.
Councils are grappling with upgrading old water and wastewater services to meet new legislative requirements and increasingly onerous environmental obligations under the Resource Management Act.
We have specialist expertise and experience established through working with an extensive client base of local authorities, as well as with private entities involved in the supply, treatment and use of water.
Work highlights
Advising Central Plains Water Trust
on its resource consents and negotiation and documentation of construction contracts for 16km canal and 150km distribution pipe network for Stage One of a water irrigation scheme for 60,000ha of Canterbury Plains. We also advised on equity raising and debt facilities, its negotiations with the Crown under the Crown irrigation fund, the procurement of land use rights and installation of water intake structures and rights to take water from the Crown river estate
Advising Creswell New Zealand, a subsidiary of Nongfu Spring
on its acquisition of a water bottling plant in Otakiri, Bay of Plenty
Advising Horowhenua District Council
on the re-consenting of the district's freshwater and wastewater assets, including the successful direct referral proceedings for the Shannon Wastewater Plant
Advising the Crown
on a range of Treaty settlement negotiations over freshwater, including the Waikato River and Whanganui River Treaty settlements
Advising Gisborne District Council
on the implications of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 in relation to its draft Freshwater Plan and the Horouta Iwi Collective submission on its draft Freshwater Plan
Advising the Tukituki Catchment Proposal Board of Inquiry
(a water quality and quantity based plan change related to farm intensification and a designation and resource consents for a dam and irrigation scheme covering some 25,000ha)
Our team
David Allen
Partner, Wellington
David specialises in all aspects of resource management, environmental and natural resources law and local government law…
- DDI +64 4 462 0423
- M +64 21 955 744
David Randal
Partner, Wellington
David specialises in resource management, environmental and Māori law. …
- DDI +64 4 462 0450
- M +64 21 742 863
Jennifer Caldwell
Partner, Auckland
National Chair
Jennifer specialises in resource management, environmental and local government law, with extensive experience as a strategic…
- DDI +64 9 358 7034
- M +64 21 624 162
Mark Odlin
Partner, Christchurch
Mark specialises in corporate and commercial law and advises on a range of financial, commercial and corporate law matters, including…
- DDI +64 3 371 3525
- M +64 21 753 769
Paul Beverley
Partner, Wellington
Paul was the National Chair of Buddle Findlay from 2017 to March 2020. Paul specialises in Māori Law, Treaty settlement negotiations…
Thaddeus Ryan
Partner, Wellington
Thad specialises in resource management and Māori law. Thad has a particular specialty in RMA consenting and…
- DDI +64 4 498 7335
- M +64 21 840 457
Vanessa Evitt
Partner, Auckland
Vanessa specialises in resource management, infrastructure, and environmental law.…
- DDI +64 9 363 0584
- M +64 21 754 503