Kate is an environmental and resource management lawyer with more than 10 years’ experience advising public and private sector clients on all areas of resource management law. Most recently, Kate was a partner at a specialist resource management firm in Auckland.
Kate works with clients on the full breadth of resource management issues, including in the urban development, infrastructure, industrial, forestry and agriculture sectors. She has expertise in advising on major development projects, including in particular rezoning and consenting large-scale greenfield urban development.
Kate regularly advises clients on planning, consenting, and designation issues under the Resource Management Act 1991, Public Works Act matters and environmental due diligence. She routinely advises on district and regional plan review processes and can help landowners and developers to obtain changes to proposed plan provisions to better meet their needs.
Kate also has expertise in fast track consenting processes, having both assisted applicants to obtain consent and been a chair of an expert consenting panel determining an application. Kate regularly advocates for clients in hearings before councils, the Environment Court, and the High Court. She also assists with alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation.
Prior to beginning her legal career, Kate worked as a policy analyst for a high profile not for profit environmental organisation where she authored a number of substantial policy reports on reform of environmental legislation in New Zealand.
Kate has a constructive and pragmatic approach to problem solving. Clients appreciate her down-to-earth attitude and her focus on details, which she employs to deliver clear and commercially aware advice and timely results. She strives to understand clients’ priorities and commercial drivers to proactively anticipate their needs.
Career highlights
Advising a major energy provider on navigating the fast-track consenting process to obtain approvals for a large-scale solar farm development.
Advised a subsidiary of Tupore Group on securing fast-track approvals for a major quarry development in Hawke’s Bay, including navigating a High Court appeal.
Advised the Department of Internal Affairs and Taumata Arowai on the development of legislation and policy to support delivery of the Local Water Done Well reform programme.
Advised Wellington Gateway Partnership on environmental, resource consent and designation matters during the completion and operation of the Transmission Gully project.
Advising Airways Corporation of New Zealand on matters relating to the protection of its infrastructure under the Resource Management Act 1991.
Advised a client on rezoning 184 hectares of greenfield land in south Auckland, including resolving an Environment Court appeal and obtaining fast-track consent for Stage 1.
Affiliations
- Member of the Resource Management Law Association