This article was published for the Bay of Plenty Times, Friday 14 February 2025 It seems like with every change of government comes the inevitable slew of changes to employment law. The Act Party’s focus on employment law reform has made this truism even truer for the Coalition Government. Big changes have already been made. …
A change is as good as a rest break – proposed employment law changes in 2025 Read More »
In a recent decision, the Employment Court has ruled in favour of High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), overturning a decision made by the Employment Relations Authority in January 2024. In its initial ruling, the Authority had determined that HPSNZ was required to engage in collective bargaining with The Athletes Cooperative (TAC), a union representing …
High Performance Sport New Zealand Ltd v The Athletes’ Cooperative Inc Read More »
Every year, each Hobec team dedicates a day to community service. This is an opportunity for our people to spend time out of the office as a team, support initiatives they are passionate about and give back to the communities they care about. Hobec community days take many different forms and cover the whole Bay …
The Government is aiming to deliver on its promise to deliver a new fast-track consenting regime before the end of 2024. The Fast-track Approvals Bill has passed through its third reading in Parliament on 17 December 2024 and we would expect it to be given royal assent before the end of 2024 meaning that it …
In keeping with its promise to introduce further changes to the resource management system before the end of 2024, the Government has introduced the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (Bill). The Bill proposes to make changes to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) to advance key Government policies as part of …
Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill Read More »
Swearing? We are all guilty of doing it to some extent, but what about in the workplace? Is it acceptable and if so, to what degree? Can your employer discipline you for an outrage of expletives? In some circumstances and in certain workplaces, dismissal may be wholly warranted, while in others, it may not, notwithstanding …
Swearing in the workplace – can I be dismissed for swearing at work? Read More »
We are proud to be one of the six founding signatories of the Framework for Collaborative Pro Bono in Aotearoa. The country’s first pro bono network, the Collaborative Framework is a strategic group which aims to enhance access to justice for all New Zealanders, especially our most vulnerable communities. Along with the 25 hour target …
Framework for Collaborative Pro Bono in Aotearoa Read More »
Rotorua is a wonderous place, known for its cultural significance to Māori, its geothermal activity, many lakes and tourism (to name but a few). From those seeking adventure, mountain biking in the redwoods, or taking some time to bask in one of the many day spas, Rotorua has something to offer everyone. For those seeking …
The market for solar farms is continuing to grow in New Zealand with an increasing number of landowners being approached by solar developers. It is interesting to see the various approaches being taken by solar developers when it comes to documenting land rights with landowners (i.e. option agreement, lease and/or easement). The process for documenting …
Another amendment Act, in a long line of RMA amendment Acts, came into force on 24 October 2024. The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2024 (Act) makes the following key changes to the RMA: Freshwater The “hierarchy of obligations” in clauses 1.3(5) and 2.1 of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management …
Another RMA amendment – freshwater and other matters Read More »
