Infrastructure and Projects

Home Expertise Infrastructure and Projects

Complex projects, simple choice

Delivering major projects presents firms, Government, and other stakeholders with a variety of significant challenges. But if these challenges are overcome, major infrastructure projects can deliver huge commercial and public benefits.
 
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 get the job done.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure projects often involve complicated processes for planning approvals and complex contracts in heavily regulated industries. We work with clients through all stages of an infrastructure project, from consenting, tendering and to the end of construction. Our team understands the ‘hotspots’ our clients face at each stage and we help them to avoid, or resolve, disputes.

We provide this full range of advice to property owners and developers, network utilities, infrastructure operators, construction companies, regulatory bodies and industry consultants.

Our experience includes advising:

  • SkyPath – securing the resource consents for the proposed walking and cycling pathway across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
  • Watercare in relation to its Central Interceptor, North Harbour 2 Watermain and Northern Interceptor Projects which involve the construction of wastewater pipelines and a new watermain across much of metropolitan Auckland.
  • Auckland International Airport on the planning approvals required for its proposed second runway.
  • 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.
  • Trustpower in relation to the Lake Coleridge Project – including securing a variation to the Rakaia River National Water Conservation Order and securing the resource consents for the Wairau Hydroelectric Power Scheme.
  • Various property owners and developers in negotiating infrastructure agreements to enable developments, including at Wynard Quarter, Weiti and Drury South.
  • Trustpower in relation to the tendering process, EPC contract and long term maintenance contract for stage 2 of its wind farm at Snowtown, South Australia.
  • Various parties (including both requiring authorities and landowners) in relation to compulsory acquisition issues under the Public Works Act associated with infrastructure projects.

Public Private Partnerships (PPP)

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

Outside of the domestic PPP market, our team has extensive international PPP experience, primarily in the UK and Australia, across a range of sectors including transport, power, defence, health, education and housing.

Our experience acting for consortia, sponsors, financiers, contractors and service providers, means we understand the issues that arise in PPP projects, both internationally and locally, as well as in the New Zealand infrastructure market.

Our experience includes advising:

  • The financiers and equity investors on the Transmission Gully PPP motorway project and the Puhoi to Wellsford PPP motorway project. 

  • The SecureFuture Consortium (managed by Macquarie Capital) on the Wiri Men’s Prison PPP Project. This consortium included Fletcher Construction, Serco, John Laing, Spotless and Accident Compensation Corporation.
  • The Learning Infrastructure Partners consortium (comprising Morrison & Co, through its Public Infrastructure Partnership Fund, and Hawkins) on the Hobsonville Point Schools PPP Project.
  • ANZ on the financing of the bid for the Hobsonville Point Schools PPP Project by the Macquarie Capital-advised consortium comprising Arrow International and Spotless.
  • A consortium comprising Hawkins, UniLodge and Macquarie Capital on its proposed bid for a student accommodation project in Auckland.
  • The Future Schools Partners Consortium (comprising Morrison & Co, Hawkins, Programmed Facility Management and ASC Architects) on the tax aspects of the Schools 2 PPP.
  • The ShapEd Consortium (comprising Morrison & Co, Pacific Partnerships, Spotless Facility Services, CPB Contractors and Southbase Construction) on the tax aspects of the Schools 3 PPP Project.

Award-winning team

Our infrastructure experts were recognised at The Asset Triple A Asia Infrastructure Awards 2020 for their work advising on the Southern Cross Cable, which won Telecom Deal of the Year. The deal, which closed in October 2019, enables the build of a new approximately US$300m internet cable to run between New Zealand, the United States and Australia.

Russell McVeagh acted for Spark New Zealand as the majority shareholder in the deal, leading complex negotiations over a period of nearly two years with other shareholders and Southern Cross. You can read more about this deal here. This deal was led by Corporate partner Ian Beaumont and Banking and Finance Partner Tom Hunt, and included Lucy Clifford and Stephanie Russell (Corporate), Bevan Peachey (Banking and Finance), and Troy Pilkington (Competition).
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