Linda O'Reilly
Linda O'Reilly
Special Counsel
+64 9 558 0601
+64 29 979 2167
linda.oreilly@tompkinswake.co.nz
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Auckland
Qualifications : LLB, University of Auckland, MBA, Massey University.
Linda is an expert in the area of local government and public law. She has extensive experience in local government having worked in management in that field in Auckland and the Waikato, including as Returning Officer in two triennial local government elections. Her experience includes investigating local government and official information issues in the Office of the Ombudsman, and a period as Regional Solicitor in the Auckland Conservancy Office of the Department of Conservation.
Linda advises a range of private and local government clients on local government, resource management and environmental issues. She is a contributing author to Thomson Reuters Local Government Law in New Zealand and a regular columnist in NZ Local Government magazine.
Areas of expertise
- Environmental Law
- Local Government Advisory
- Public Law
- Office of Ombudsman Investigations
Professional history
- Tompkins Wake, 2021 - present
- Brookfields, 2007 - 2021
- Bell Gully, 1999 - 2001
Water Services - Getting to the Nuts and Bolts
It has been a merciless year for those of us trying to navigate the twists and turns of government policy imposed on local government. Years end bring...
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Who is an authorised representative of iwi?
The Court of Appeal has provided guidance to councils and resource consent applicants to correctly identify authorised representatives of iwi.Ngāti Pa...
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Delegations and Decisions - What do council officers need to communicate?
A recent Court of Appeal case considered a judicial review launched by the Thorndon Quay Collective Inc (‘TQC’) against Wellington City Council (‘Coun...
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New Waters: Councils' Next Steps
The announcement early in May of the deal made between the Government and Auckland Council regarding the future arrangements for Watercare Services Lt...
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Gangs Targeted by New Bill
The Gangs Legislation Amendment Bill (“the Bill”), see here, is part of the Government’s 100-day plan to restore law and order. Introduced to Parliame...
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What the Ombudsman expects of council meetings and workshops
Have councils been making decisions in their workshops and informal meetings? The Ombudsman initiated an investigation to answer just that. He investi...
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Just another year in local government
Download a PDF of this article hereAs might have been expected in the year of a general election, there has been a pretty much deafening silence in re...
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What will happen to water reforms now?
Is it too soon to write about this? Well no, it is not. Legislation hastily passed before the election is in place and, in part, has commenced. The sp...
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No such thing as a simple Land Information Memoranda
In December last year we reported on proposed changes to the provisions for Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) in the Local Government Official Informa...
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What Makes Up 'Capital Value' - Court of Appeal
Rates are set under the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 (LGRA) based on the capital value or the land value of the rating unit. Annual value rating...
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Review into the Future for Local Government - Final Report
The Panel has released its final report and recommendations and the future for local government looks exciting!There is much to unpick and consider in...
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Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Act 2023
The recently enacted Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Act 2023 addressed changes relating to the declaration of local and national emergencies in ...
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Councils challenge to transfer of water services rejected in High Court
While the Government contemplates the future of ThreeWaters reform, a legal challenge by Timaru, Whangarei and Waimakariri District Councils seeking d...
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Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Act 2023: Part 2
We have previously described amendments to the emergency works provisions of the Resource Management Act 1991 – click here to view.But the Severe Weat...
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Future response to extreme weather events
Lawyers are supposed to specialise in sober reflection, but the impact of Auckland Anniversary Weekend flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle provokes a range...
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Land Information Memoranda reports just got even trickier
An amendment to the provisions for Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) had been anticipated that would help territorial authorities to navigate the tric...
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Moving the Agenda for Local Government Along
The Review into the Future for Local Government (2022) He mata whāriki, he matawhānui: Draft Report was released at the end of October, just as newly ...
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Don't let the future run you over
Welcome to all newly elected and re-elected mayors, chairs, councillors, local and community board members.I am by nature an impatient person. Yet I h...
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Proposed mandatory consideration of specific Māori representation
On 2 August 2022, the House heard the first reading of the Local Government Electoral Legislation Bill, an omnibus bill that looks to make several cha...
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Declarations that an Enactment Inconsistent with Bill of Rights
After languishing for the last couple of years the Government sponsored New Zealand Bill of Rights (Declarations of Inconsistency) Amendment Bill (the...
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Local government on the edge
Local government is awash with change. As much as the weather is a constant reminder that climate change is upon us, the raft of central government po...
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New Zealand has its first National Adaptation Plan
The Government has adopted a two-pronged response to climate change: ‘mitigation’ (i.e., reducing emissions) and ‘adaptation’ (learning to adapt to cl...
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New Regime for Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower legislation)
Protection for those who report matters of serious wrongdoing within an organisation has been in place since the commencement of the Protected Disclos...
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Next steps for Three Waters?
With the Water Services Entities Bill (the Bill) still expected to be introduced mid-way through this year, the Working Group on Representation, Gover...
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