Our people

SPECIALISATION:

Commercial litigation; Environment law; Resource management; Building law

Stephen Quinn has depth and breadth of expertise acting for Crown entities, SOEs, government departments and local government, with emphasis on resource management (RMA), environmental law, and building law.  He is accomplished in appearing before council hearings, the Environment Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal.

He has also been at the forefront of advising on infrastructure projects initiated under changed funding mechanisms.  Stephen recently acted for a project which was amongst the first administered under the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).  The particular project was also noteworthy in that it was the New Zealand Government’s first public private partnership (PPP).

Stephen has considerable capability in providing advice on large scale infrastructure projects, including in the energy and telecommunications sectors.  He acted for two local authorities in a major wind farm resource consent appeal to the Environment Court

Stephen has significant involvement in enforcement and prosecution proceedings under the RMA, Building Act, Local Government Act and Health and Safety in Employment Act, and is responsible for all the New Zealand Fire Service’s applications to Court to close buildings lacking evacuation schemes.

Stephen is ranked by Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide 2013 as a leading environment & resource management lawyer.

RECENT WORK

Department of Corrections:

Represented the Department in relation to the designation for proposed men's prison at Manukau before a Board of Inquiry.

Telecom New Zealand Limited:

Represented Telecom in successfully obtaining resource consents for the Cook Strait fibre optic telecommunications cable.

Wellington City and Wellington Regional Councils: 

Acting for the Councils in the Environment Court appeal for Meridian's West Wind 70 turbine wind farm in Wellington.  Representing the Wellington City Council on all significant resource consent appeals and judicial reviews, including the Marine Education Centre, Mill Creek wind farm, the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and major inner city developments.

Exide Technologies Limited:

Represented Exide on an appeal arising from the review of air discharge permit conditions for a battery recycling plant in Petone, and subsequent prosecutions.

Hutt City Council:

Acted for the Council on a High Court judicial review challenge to the Council's decision to process a recent commercial resource consent on a non-notified basis.

MEMBERSHIPS

Resource Management Law Association
New Zealand Minerals Industry Association