News

As part of the coalition agreements with ACT and NZ First, the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 (“Amendment Act”) was passed. This reintroduces the requirement that local government hold public polls to establish Māori Wards and Constituencies rather than being able to establish them by resolution.

A husband and wife were unsuccessful in claiming against a local authority for a mistaken assurance that their pool complied with the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 (“FOSPA”).

In late 2023, the coalition government between the National, ACT and New Zealand First took office. The National/ACT coalition agreement stated that the Government would repeal s 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989. The repeal policy originated with ACT and ACT MP Karen Chhour became the Minister for Children.

A landowner unsuccessfully attempted to recover compensation from the Crown for its alleged failure to abate a rock fall hazard arising from neighbouring ‘red zoned’ land.

The Court of Appeal upheld the Employment Court’s decision in E tū Inc & Anor v Raiser Operations BV & Ors finding that the true nature of the relationship between Uber and its drivers, was one of employment. The Court clarified the test to be applied under section 6 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.

The High Court declined an application for judicial review of the Electricity Authority’s decision to grant Transpower New Zealand Ltd a discretionary power to reclassify transmission assets, and Transpower’s decision to exercise that power.

The Court of Appeal declined to make a declaration excluding the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith from the Royal Commission into abuse in state and faith-based care.

The Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 (“FTCA”) was enacted to facilitate economic and social recovery from the impacts of Covid-19. It allowed referred and listed projects to be consented by an expert panel rather than requiring them to go through ordinary resource consenting procedures.

A real-estate agent was awarded more than $75,000 in Baigent damages because his fair trial rights were breached during an Inland Revenue tax investigation.