Local government and public law

Local government’s governance and public law functions directly shape how communities live, work, and grow.  These decisions must be lawful, transparent, and made with care to ensure public trust and accountability.  That’s where we come in.

Rice Speir works exclusively with local government.  We advise on governance, decision-making, consultation, delegations, and all aspects of the Local Government Act 2002. Our team supports elected members, chief executives, and in-house legal teams through complex, high-stakes decisions, including road stoppings, development contributions, bylaw reviews, standing orders, and mana whenua-related engagement.  We also act on Coronial Inquiries and judicial reviews.

We help councils navigate uncertainty, manage risk, and deliver outcomes that stand up to scrutiny, often alongside our contract and corporate support team who are specialists in documenting projects and complex commercial and governance relationships.

LGOIMA

We advise on the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and the Privacy Act 2020, including information requests, LIM content, redactions, and access to files.  We also help councils streamline their systems to align with legal requirements and best practice.