Katherine leads the firm’s national Resource Management team. She has extensive experience in all aspects of environmental and resource management law and supports rural and urban clients nationwide. She delivers commercially relevant, and client focussed advice to environmental problems in any context – corporate transactions, development projects, planning / policy, resource consenting, due diligence, compliance and risk management, law reform, and climate change.

Katherine is well connected, a confident and effective communicator and she is used to leading multi-disciplinary teams. She is a seasoned advocate in all jurisdictions.

Recent highlights

  • Secured listed project status under the Fast-track Approvals Act. Advising applicants considering referral applications for renewable energy, infrastructure, and housing, and adjacent landowners on feedback to the fast-track process.
  • Advising on the RMA reforms – the proposed Natural Environment and Planning bills – including advice to leverage opportunities for project development.  
  • Successfully led multiple regionally significant projects, including contentious community wastewater treatment and disposal (to land and the coastal marine environment), and primary sector consent renewals.
  • Advising on regional landfill airspace expansion, alternate waste management technologies, and treatment of greenhouse gas emissions under the ETS.
  • Land acquisition (voluntary and compulsory) under the Public Works Act, including compensation agreements, resource material supply sites, and royalty arrangements.
  • Urban planning and residential, commercial and industrial rezoning in Canterbury, where tension between the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and the Enabling Housing Supply legislation are relevant considerations.
  • Environmental risk management/ mitigation for a significant land investment portfolio.
  • Wide experience as defence counsel for environmental enforcement investigations/ prosecutions.
  • Irrigation development, and nutrient management in the contentious Mackenzie Basin where landscape values and indigenous biodiversity are relevant considerations.
  • Advising insurers in relation to liability under the Climate Change legislation/ Emissions Trading Scheme.

Katherine's insights

RMA Amendments – huge increases to fines and insurance for fines now unlawful

20 August 2025

Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile Variation

13 January 2025

Major Projects on the Fast Track

15 October 2024

We're driven by our values

They drive our client relationships and connections with our community, and underpin our achievements.

He tāngata

  • Co-leads the summer clerk and graduate recruitment programme in the Christchurch office.

Excellence

  • Regularly presents tailored education sessions upskilling industry professionals, external management and on-the-ground staff on topical environmental issues

Enterprising

  • Member of the New Zealand Law Society
  • Member of the Resource Management Law Association
  • Member of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management

Authenticity

“We have worked with Katherine and her team for the last 2 years on a complex and difficult Environment Court case. Over this time, Katherine has created a positive working relationship with us as client. The team approach ensured we always had someone up to speed with our work, that we could turn to if needed.” Carina Ross, Senior Policy Advisor, DairyNZ

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