Legal Publications - Duncan Cotterill

Publications

We produce a range of articles, legal publications and resources on a wide range of legal subjects and hot topics critical to our clients needs. These include briefings on key legal issues, newsletters on practice areas and industry developments via the below headings.

Recent construction companies collapses highlight ongoing problems with retentions

The past few weeks have seen a spate of construction companies ceasing to trade, some of which have been placed into liquidation or receivership. These include Tower Cranes, the Stanley Group and related Tallwood companies in Auckland and Waikato, and Welhaus Ltd and related company Welstruct Ltd More »

Government releases action plan for healthy waterways

The Government has released today a wide-ranging plan, which aims to “stop the degradation of our rivers and lakes, achieve a noticeable improvement in five years and restore our waterways within a generation.” The proposal document, Action for healthy waterways – A discussion More »

Partnership visas

Partnership visas can be applied for by the following classes of persons: Partners of New Zealand citizens or New Zealand resident visa holders; Partners of some work visa holders (subject to certain exceptions); Partners of some student visa holders (subject to certain exceptions); and Partners of More »

EQC to provide cover to on-sold over-cap properties

Post-earthquake purchasers of houses in Christchurch are sometimes finding further earthquake damage, even where the house has been repaired. There has been uncertainty over whether those purchasers have any claims and who those claims may be against, with a number of proceedings currently before More »

Southern Response ordered to pay after engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct

Southern Response has engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct, and misrepresented the insurance entitlements of a Christchurch couple, according to a decision released by the High Court today ( Dodds v Southern Response Earthquake Services Ltd [2019] NZHC 2016). The case involved an earthquake More »

Employment Court examines employee commissions and holiday pay

The Employment Court has recently given new clarity to a previously untested area of the Holidays Act. In Tourism Holdings Limited v A Labour Inspector of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [2019] NZEmpC 87, the Employment Court considered how the definition of ordinary weekly pay More »

Recreational access to land – how is this affected by health and safety?

New Zealanders have grown up with an expectation that they are able to access and use most outdoor areas for recreation. However, many landowners, particularly farmers, are concerned about the implications of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 ( HSWA ), and whether they will be responsible for More »

Biosecurity Act Review

The Government has recently announced that it is to undertake a review of the Biosecurity Act 1993. The work will be carried out at the same time as the review of the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act 2012 (NAIT) which was started earlier in the year. Both Acts are to be reviewed More »

Agricultural emissions

The submission period was short and public information sessions around the country were well attended by landowners seeking to understand the implications of policy options presented by Government to drive a reduction in agricultural emissions. The Government option, which builds on recommendations More »

Enforceable undertakings – an alternative sentencing option for the court

One of the key changes brought about by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 ( HSWA ) was the use of WorkSafe-approved enforceable undertakings as an alternative to prosecution. An enforceable undertaking is a legally binding agreement, the purpose being to focus the duty holder on various tasks More »

Reform of the Residential Tenancies Act granted royal assent

What do these changes mean for landlords and tenants? On 30 July 2019, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2019 was granted royal assent. The Act significantly impacts on the rights and obligations of both landlords and tenants in three areas: liability for careless damage to rental premises More »

Proposed Plan Change 7 – Land and Water Regional Plan

Proposed Plan Change 7 to the Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) was publicly notified on 20 July 2019 and is open for submission until 13 September 2019. The LWRP sets out the planning framework for the management of land and water resources in Canterbury. PC7 is split into three parts, each with More »

Pro-bono report

In this report we highlight three recent projects where we have used our legal skills and partnered with our clients to bring their dreams to fruition. These projects are diverse – preserving the Christchurch Cathedral for future generations, developing a predator free sanctuary in Nelson and More »

First workplace bullying prosecution in South Australia

The first conviction in South Australia for bullying could have important implications for health and safety practices in New Zealand. Charges were brought against two employees, Jeffrey Rowe and Luke Chenoweth, and their employer, Tad-Mar Electrical Pty Ltd, in respect of bullying of a 19 year old More »

A new Relationship Property Act - what should you expect?

The law relating to the division of relationship property is something that a significant number of New Zealanders deal with at some point during their lifetime, when entering into a contracting out agreement at the start of a relationship, splitting property at the end of a relationship, or even More »

A new Trusts Act

The Trusts Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament and is shortly to receive royal assent, the final stage of a comprehensive overhaul of New Zealand’s trust law that began more than ten years ago. The Trusts Act will replace the Trustee Act 1956 with the purpose of making the law More »

Recreational access to land – how is this affected by health and safety?

Agricultural emissions

The Ministry for the Environment released a discussion document on 16 July 2019, with policies building on the Interim Climate Change Committee’s ( ICCC ) recommendations for agricultural emissions (see here ). The Government’s preferred approach is that emissions are priced through the More »

The “Hug of Death” – expanding the scope of ACC cover for mesothelioma beyond a work-place injury

The dreadful and always fatal disease of mesothelioma, directly linked with exposure to asbestos, has given rise to much litigation in the common law world. Three years after her death due to mesothelioma, Deanna Trevarthen has recently been the subject of the decision in Calver v Accident More »

3 things you need to know about the Privacy Bill before it becomes law

The Privacy Bill, which will replace the Privacy Act 1993, commenced its second reading on 18 June. Here are the three things you need to know about it before it comes into force in 2020 (probably). Mostly, it’s steady as she goes. The Government has shied away from major renovations and the More »

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