There is a great deal of flux in the regulation of environmental law currently.  With the assistance of an experienced expert panel navigate the new reform agenda of the Second Resource Management Act Bill, Phase Three Reforms and the Fast track Approvals Bill. Consider practical advice you will receive on infrastructure consents to development applications and examine the impact of recent cases in the environmental law space.

Presenters

Jennifer Caldwell, Partner, Buddle Finlay
Jennifer specialises in resource management, environmental and local government law, with extensive experience as a strategic adviser and specialist litigator in the Environment Court, High Court and higher courts. She is a leading New Zealand lawyer advising on consent and designation projects and strategic planning processes. In October 2017, Jennifer was instrumental in Buddle Findlay’s appointment to the Supporting Growth Alliance, a five year programme of route protection for transport infrastructure to support Auckland’s growth over the next three decades. Jennifer’s experience as Alliance Manager on the East West Link project in Auckland and Legal Director with ALDAR Properties PJSC gives her unique insights into the efficient and effective provision of legal services to complex clients.


Mary Hill, Partner, Cooney Lees Morgan
Mary is a Partner at Tauranga law firm Cooney Lees Morgan. She advises local authorities and private clients on all aspects of resource management law and works closely with councils on a range of policy, strategic and probity issues. Mary appears regularly in the Environment Court and higher courts, including the Supreme Court. She is the designated Protected Disclosures Officer for a local authority under the “Whistleblowing” legislation and acts as an independent facilitator of community disputes. Mary also has expertise in competition, regulatory and information law and holds a Masters in Commercial Law specialising in those areas. Mary is a past President of the Resource Management Law Association. In that role she worked closely with stakeholders and central government on the RMA and wider system reform proposals. She has a particular interest in working with local authorities to ensure they are well placed to inform, influence and most importantly implement system reform.


Don Turley, Consultant, The Environmental Lawyers
Don Turley has over 40 years experience in environmental planning law and dispute resolution including 15 years as a partner of a major New Zealand law firm. His work has included assisting clients in obtaining appropriate consents for wind farms and hydro energy projects and remediation measures for contaminated sites. Don has provided skilled counsel for clients in a wide range of hearings before local authorities and the Environment Court and High Court and Court of Appeal. He is an experienced qualified RMA commissioner and a certified mediator. Don has also had success in acting for local authorities as a facilitator for caucusing of expert witnesses in complex district plan changes.


Andrew Beatson, Barrister, Andrew Beatson Barristers
Andrew is an environment and resource management law specialist and expert infrastructure and projects lawyer. He is passionate about helping to build a sustainable future for New Zealand. With more than 30 years’ experience, including advising on all aspects of environmental law, Andrew has assisted clients to obtain regulatory approvals for many significant projects, including energy generation, transport, linear Infrastructure, retail, telecommunications, coastal and marine (including ports), and land and other developments. Practicing throughout New Zealand, Andrew also regularly advises on plan changes and provides policy advice for developers and applicants, as well as local authorities, regulatory bodies, environmental interests and objectors. Skilled at working with polarised participants, he seeks to understand and resolve differences while building enduring relationships. Clients are provided with an expert view of the short, medium and long-term prospects for their interests. Andrew particularly enjoys working as part of a multidisciplinary team, pulling together often complex work streams, to efficiently achieve a successful outcome.


Sally Gepp KC, Barrister
Sally has practised as a barrister sole specialising in environmental law since 2019, following nine years with environmental NGO Forest & Bird. She has appeared as counsel in a number of high profile cases including in relation to the Ruataniwha Dam and the proposed East West Link, as well as plan-making processes from Whangarei to Invercargill. Sally was a trustee of the Biodiversity Collaborative Group tasked by the Minister for the Environment with developing a draft National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity, and was part of a working group for the first review of the National Environmental Standards on Plantation Forestry. She is President of RMLA (Te Kahui Ture Taiao / Association for Resource Management Practitioners) and a member of the New Zealand Conservation Authority.