Infrastructure and Projects

Delivering major infrastructure projects can present a variety of significant challenges. Anticipating those challenges and overcoming them when they arise is critical to achieving the commercial and public benefits that flow from such projects.

We work with clients through all stages of an infrastructure project, from procurement, planning, financing and construction through to operation, maintenance and the acquisition or sale of infrastructure assets. Our multi-disciplinary team understands the ‘hotspots’ our clients face at each stage and we help them to avoid, or resolve, issues and disputes.

In order to get the job done, stakeholders need to work through the variety of legal complexities that can arise throughout a project. With a combination of specialist skills and commercial know-how, our infrastructure lawyers seek to simplify the complexities, work through the issues and help our clients throughout each stage of the project.

We are proud to have been at the forefront of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in New Zealand, with the firm having advised the successful consortia and financiers on a number of large PPPs.

Our infrastructure clients include corporates, developers, lenders, financial investors, regulators and government.

​​Transport

• KiwiRail with key strategic projects in their role reinvigorating New Zealand's rail network, including in relation to City Rail Link and the repairs post the Kaikōura earthquake and the North Island Weather Events.
• ​KiwiRail on Project iReX (Inter-island Resilient Connection Project), including procurement of two new, custom-designed, rail-enabled ferries, and the redevelopment of the ferry terminal precincts in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and Waitohi Picton.
• Auckland Airport on the suite of planning approvals required to enable the development of a longer second runway.
• Hutt City Council on its investment in the RiverLink (Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi) Project, collaborative project between Greater Wellington Regional Council, Hutt City Council, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency, iwi mana whenua Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika (Taranaki Whānui), Ngāti Toa Rangatira (Ngāti Toa), and the AECOM-Fletcher alliance, to provide better flood protection, enable urban growth (including new roads and street-level improvements) and improve transport safety and connections in Lower Hutt and around the Melling Interchange.
• Hutt City Council on a new walking and cycling shared path between Ngāu Matau (Point Howard) and Eastbourne, and new infrastructure along the corridor to improve resilience and protect against storms and waves, along with coastal erosion.
• SkyPath – securing the resource consents for the proposed walking and cycling pathway across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Utilities

• QIC Private Capital, on the successful completion of its purchase of 50% of Vector Limited's New Zealand and Australian metering business.
• ​​Watercare on the resource consents and property rights needed for its proposed extension of the Central Interceptor in Auckland, one of the largest infrastructure projects in New Zealand currently.
• Waste Management New Zealand Limited (WMNZ) on its consent applications for the Auckland Regional Landfill and related construction and road-stopping matters.
• Ports of Auckland with the implementation of their 30-year masterplan and on their proposal to deepen part of the Waitematā Harbour and Rangitoto Channel over 35 years.

Public Private Partnerships (PPP)

• The financiers and equity investors on the Transmission Gully PPP motorway project and the Puhoi to Wellsford PPP motorway project.
• ​​Amber Infrastructure Limited on its acquisition of a portfolio of New Zealand PPP infrastructure assets from Morrison & Co.

Energy and Renewables

• Meridian Energy in relation to the proposed Southern Green Hydrogen project, a world class large-scale green hydrogen plant in Southland, New Zealand.
• ​A variety of developers of wind, solar and battery projects in New Zealand, including Tilt Renewables in relation to its power purchase agreement with Genesis Energy for the Waipipi wind farm and WEL Networks' development of a grid-scale battery energy storage system.
• Infratec on its EPC contract in respect of the Lodestone solar farms.
• Submissions to the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment on the New Zealand Government's proposed new framework for offshore renewable energy.

Property development

• Precinct Properties on their $1bn retail and office tower development at Commercial Bay in Auckland CBD.
• ​Stevenson Group on the development of the Drury South Precinct (a major greenfield development including 45 ha of residential land, 145 ha of industrial land and 90 ha of public open space), which has involved multiple plan changes, securing a special housing area, obtaining resource consents, and negotiation of infrastructure and project agreements.

Public Works Act

• Various parties (including both requiring authorities and landowners) in relation to compulsory acquisition issues under the Public Works Act associated with infrastructure projects.

• 'Project Finance Deal of the Year' at the 2022 New Zealand Law Awards for KiwiRail's loan facility to purchase passenger and freight rail ferries.
• 'Project Finance Deal of the Year' at the 2020 New Zealand Law Awards for Auckland's City Rail Link, the largest transport infrastructure project ever to be undertaken in New Zealand.