Bill heads the resources and infrastructure department and is a member of the firm's board. Bill is one of New Zealand's leading public sector lawyers and is a partner in the firm's local government and environment group. He specialises in litigation and alternative dispute resolution in the administrative law, environmental, resource management, and local government fields. He advises local authorities, corporates and developers.
He regularly advises clients on their ongoing obligations, rights, and duties under the Resource Management Act. He also has extensive experience in advising local authorities on judicial review and the full range of local government issues. Bill has substantial experience with large infrastructure projects.
Bill is a leading litigator in the resource management and public sector areas and has had numerous appearances before the Environment Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. He has been involved in many of the 'landmark' environmental cases in New Zealand over many years which have shaped how the country's environmental legislation is administered.
- Chambers Global Public Law 2013 - Leading Lawyer
- PLC Which Lawyer? Environment 2013 - Leading Lawyer
Examples of Work
- Auckland Transport - resource consents and designations for the $1 billion Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI) project
- Auckland City Council - Wynyard Point Tank Farm redevelopment, including the District Plan appeals
- Auckland City Council - the applicant for the Marine Events Centre on Wynyard Wharf
- American forestry company - a 48 lot coastal subdivision on Matakana Island
- Bunnings - acting for the applicant for new stores across the country
- Auckland Council - general strategic advice on the Unitary Plan and heritage matters
- Acting for the eight councils in the Auckland region on the key retail growth related provision in the Regional Policy Statement as a result of the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Act
- A wide variety of cases, including Arrigato, Dye, the Discount Brands litigation (that went to the Supreme Court), Woolley, Wairau Pak'n Save, Body Corporate, Auckland Regional Council v Rodney District Council, and Parihoa Farms
- The Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act which required all Auckland territorial authorities to fund Auckland's amenities
- Lead counsel in drafting the local legislation for the Penlink Road, to be the first public/private partnership (PPP) toll road in New Zealand (this was subsumed into the Land Transport Management Act)
- Local authorities, including Auckland Council - assisting with drafting of the Unitary Plans, and dealing with District Plan appeals over fifteen years for the former Auckland City Council, North Shore City Council, and Rodney District Council
- Numerous large infrastructure projects including the Silverdale Park and Ride, the Albany Highway designation for road-widening, Penlink, SH 1 at Orewa, Eastern Transport Corridor, Auckland City Council Art Gallery upgrade, and the Tauranga Southern Pipeline
Other Credentials
- Resource Management Law Association - Member
- Brookers A Practical Guide to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act - Contributing author
- DSL Environmental Handbook - Contributing author
- New Zealand Planning Institute - Affiliate member
- New Zealand Planning Institute How to be an Effective Expert Witness seminar - Regular presenter throughout New Zealand
