Kate Woods

BA, LLB, Senior Associate

Kate is a senior associate in the Resource Management and Environmental Law Team. 

Kate has experience in District and Regional resource management matters, including planning, resource consents, enforcement and Resource Management related due diligence in commercial matters.

Prior to joining Wynn Williams, Kate worked in London for several years.  She also spent three years within the Resource Management and Environmental Team of another New Zealand law firm.
"I enjoy working as part of a great team and providing our clients with practical and effective legal advice."

Recent Projects

  • The following are examples of Kate's work while at Wynn Williams and other firms:

  • Acting for Environment Canterbury on several appeals to the Environment Court relating to resource consent applications for quarrying, including successfully resolving one highly contested appeal through mediation and further negotiation between the parties.

  • Acting for Environment Canterbury in relation to an appeal to the Environment Court on water permit application and successfully resolving the matter through negotiation.

  • Acting for Environment Canterbury in relation to a judicial review proceedings on a limited notification decision and successfully resolving the matter before it made it to the Court.

  • Successfully obtaining land use and subdivision consents for commercial and residential development in Timaru despite strong opposition from the Timaru District Council officers processing the applications.

  • Appearing (as junior counsel) in the High Court in judicial review proceedings in relation to a decision of a Council not to notify a resource consent application.

  • Appearing (as junior counsel) in the Environment Court in declaration proceedings in relation to the harvesting of commercial forestry in the Marlborough Sounds.

  • Providing advice and appearing at a Council Hearing for a small business owner in relation to the establishment of an employee accommodation facility in a rural zone.

  • Successfully obtaining a resource consent for a home occupation in a rural zone.

  • Part of the legal team providing strategic and legal advice in relation to regional planning documents managing natural resources in Canterbury.

  • Advising numerous corporate and commercial property clients on resource management and environmental aspects of due diligence.

  • Acting for and advising Auckland Council on a range of planning and environmental issues, planning compliance, enforcement proceedings, aquaculture issues and a Public Works Act valuation dispute.

  • Assisting a major supermarket chain obtain numerous resource consents for supermarkets and speciality retail around New Zealand.

  • Assisting several clients to obtain zoning changes to their land (including rezoning from rural to residential and industrial, and from residential to commercial).

Recent Articles

23/04/2020

Our Freshwater 2020: Government issues report examining pressing issues for freshwater

The Ministry for the Environment along with Stats NZ have released Our Freshwater 2020, summarising updates and reporting on progress on four priority freshwater issues. Our Freshwater 2020 is the latest report on the state of the environment required under the Environmental Reporting Act 2015 and builds on Our Freshwater 2017.

Keep reading...



8/04/2020

It’s a building…it’s a vehicle…it’s a tiny house!

A number of recent Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment determinations, and District and Environment Court decisions have discussed the legality of ‘tiny houses’, and specifically the question of whether they need to comply with the requirements of the Building Act 2004 and Resource Management Act 1991.

Keep reading...



8/10/2018

Further changes to the management of freshwater in NZ

The Government has announced its plan to tackle water quality issues in New Zealand, with a focus on stopping further degradation and loss, reversing past damage, and addressing water allocation issues.

Keep reading...

Memberships

  • Canterbury Women's Legal Association

  • Resource Management Law Association

  • Property Council of New Zealand
    •
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