Recent Projects

The Tōtara Energy LP, led by cornerstone investor Tauhara North No. 2 Trust, is to acquire a 30% share in a Pioneer Energy Group LP structure, supporting further investment in renewable and waste-to-energy projects alongside Central Lakes Trust.

Otagold’s flagship project is MEP 61021 (Waitekauri), located in the Hauraki goldfield near Waihi.  The project is believed to have excellent resource potential.

The acquisition covers also the Lottin Point Gold Project in the North Island (first discovered by Anglo American) and the Roaring Meg, Oturehua, and Invincible gold projects in the South Island. The acquisition is symptomatic of the recent increase in interest in minerals and petroleum projects, associated with a change of government policies and changes to the Crown Minerals Act 1991.

The Pearson Residences building is the third and final stage of The Foundation, a $500 million retirement village in central Auckland, designed by Peddlethorp architects and officially opened by the Prime Minister in March this year.

Pearson Residences is located in the centre of the Foundation precinct, surrounded by Foundation Building 1 and Building 2, Birthcare, Pearson House, ACG Parnell College, the Jubilee Hall and Foundation on George Street building.  The resource consent authorises the construction of the 48m central building, containing 65 retirement units and care facilities, a range of resident amenities, two levels of basement carparking, landscaping and a pedestrian airbridge connecting to Building 2.  

The new deal ensures the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter remains open after years of uncertainty around its future, a massive relief for employees, Southland and Tiwai’s many stakeholders.

This uncertainty has long unsettled NZ energy markets and deterred investment in new renewable generation.

The overall deal replaces NZAS’ previous Electricity Agreement with Meridian Energy, a long‑term contract for differences providing NZAS with hedge cover for up to 572 MW.

Under the new arrangements, hedge cover for up to 572 MW in aggregate is provided by three different generators (Meridian Energy, Contact Energy and Mercury NZ) through a portfolio of different CfDs.  The challenge was to ensure the rights and obligations, risks and operational management of the different contracts work alongside each other seamlessly, having regard to the separation between them. 

NZAS is the country’s single largest electricity consumer, taking around 13% of NZ’s electricity supply.  The new deal also includes separate contracts with Meridian and Contact that enable them to call on NZAS for various different tranches of demand response.  In effect, NZAS can be required to dial back production when there is a shortage of power in the grid.  The smelter therefore acts as a battery for the NZ electricity system, ensuring the lights are kept on when NZ needs it most.

Resource consent was granted for the stage 1 foundation works on 23 December 2021, for the stage 2 Outpatient building on 17 August 2022 and for the stage 3 Inpatient building on 24 November 2023. This fourth and final stage of the consenting process will authorise the construction and operation of supplementary, ancillary services facilities necessary for the operation of the two main clinical buildings – the Inpatient and Outpatient buildings.

The facilities will comprise a generator building, a heat pump/chiller enclosure, a services gantry extending over Castle Street and connecting to the Inpatient building, and associated equipment including two diesel storage tanks. They are to be located on the “Bow Lane” block to the east across Castle Street from the main facilities which are located on the “Cadbury” and “Wilson” blocks. Construction works are set to begin on the facilities within the coming months.

A team from Greenwood Roche led by Rachel Murdoch and Francelle Lupis are advising Te Whatu Ora on all consenting matters relating to the New Dunedin Hospital.

The project involved transferring 14,487 hectares of rural land, predominantly dairy and forestry, and all interests and property rights held in relation to those properties, from NZRLC’s subsidiary, NZRLC Dairy Holdings Limited, to a new limited partnership, New Zealand Rural Land Investments Limited Partnership.

The transfer to New Zealand Rural Land Investments Limited Partnership was to facilitate NZRLC selling a 25% equity interest in its land portfolio to Roc Partners (an Australian specialist private markets investment manager) for NZ$44.2m.  Greenwood Roche also successfully acted for NZRLC on the property and finance aspects of the sale to Roc Partners.

The Greenwood Roche team was led by Jeannie Warnock (Partner), Anthony Staples (Partner), Kurt McRedmond (Senior Associate), Tom Petersen (Lawyer) and Georgie Pay (Lawyer) with specialist input from other lawyers within the firm.

Resource consent was granted for the stage 1 foundation works on 23 December 2021 and for the stage 2 Outpatient building on 17 August 2022. The granting of this subsequent consent will enable the establishment of the new Inpatient building, the largest of the clinical buildings comprising the new Dunedin Hospital.

As the primary tertiary healthcare facility for the Southern region, the new Inpatient building will house a range of consultation and treatment spaces, including an intensive care unit, a dedicated primary birthing unit and an expanded emergency department.  In addition to the dedicated clinical facilities, the Inpatient building site will also accommodate generous areas of landscaping and public realm extending primarily along the Cumberland Street frontage of the site. Works on the Inpatient building are anticipated to commence in Q1 2024.

A team from Greenwood Roche, led by Julian Smith, Monique Thomas and Rachel Murdoch, are advising Te Whatu Ora on all consenting and property matters relating to the New Dunedin Hospital.  

Faringdon Oval is a 69.3ha extension of the existing, well established Faringdon community in Rolleston, which has developed over the last decade under the Operative Selwyn District Plan, the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013, and more recently, the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast Track Consenting) Act 2020. 

The Fast Track consent for Faringdon Oval authorises the subdivision, land use and associated activities needed to facilitate the addition of 684 residential units to the Rolleston housing supply with an additional 462 residential units to be enabled through super lots with minimum density requirements. The development will support a range of residential housing types and densities, high quality landscaping, open space reserves, a neighbourhood centre and a network of transport links to existing residential areas and the Rolleston town centre.

Greenwood Roche is delighted to have assisted HDL in delivering a development that will contribute significant housing supply in such a strategic location for the wider Canterbury region.

The variation provides for changes in the location and footprint of the proposed Inpatient Building which will be housed on the old Cadbury factory site. The variation also accommodates a new plant building between the Inpatient Building and the southern site boundary, and technical construction related changes such as updated pile designs and driving methodology for the Inpatient Building and its two link bridges.

Enabling works for the Outpatient Building are complete and above-ground construction has begun with a target ‘go-live’ date of 2025. Enabling works are underway for the significantly larger Inpatient Building which is scheduled to ‘go-live’ in 2029.  The resource consent application to authorise the above-ground construction and operation of the Inpatient Building has now been lodged with the Environmental Protection Authority for referral to an expert consenting panel under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020.  Subject to securing all necessary approvals, construction of that Building is scheduled to begin in Q1 2024.

The Greenwood Roche team has been advising Te Whatu Ora on the resource management and property aspects of the New Dunedin Hospital project since 2017. 

We advised Bei Group through the initial application, including notification and hearing phases and, following approval of the plan change, an appeal by Kristin School to the Environment Court largely in respect of transport matters.  Concurrently, Greenwood Roche provided advice on conflicts between Auckland Council’s Plan Change 78 (Intensification Planning Instruments required by the National Policy Statement Urban Development) and proposed Variation 3 to the Auckland Unitary Plan.  Ultimately Variation 3 was withdrawn by the Council and the appeal was resolved.  On 9 December 2022, Auckland Council’s planning committee approved the operative status of the Plan Change, with formal notification to follow in early 2023.

Bei Group Limited can now progress its vision for its 13.7ha site at 473 Albany Highway - to create a vibrant, diverse and high-quality residential neighbourhood, with a range of housing typologies that will be supported by a new internal street network, quality public open space and a commercial hub to service resident demand.  Greenwood Roche is delighted with this outcome and is looking forward to watching this exemplar development come to life.