Residential Care Subsidy - A Trust May Affect Eligibility

Statistically, few of us will require long term stay in a rest home or hospital. At age 65, 5% of the population is in care. This increases to 21% once we reach the age of 85. Of the 85+ population the average stay in rest home/hospital care is 18 months. However, 54% of those over 85 will probably die in care. This high percentage of people dying in care is not because they are in long term residential care but because of the numbers that will be in respite care.

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Residential Care Subsidies - Working It Out

The underlying purpose of the Social Securities Act 1964 is to ensure that financial support is available to people who require it.  The availability of this support is subject to means testing, and the Act requires that "where appropriate they should use resources available to them before seeking financial support under this Act".  These resources may include assets held in trust.

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Can Territorial Authorities Now Appeal Their Own Resource Consent Decisions?

Auckland Council v Auckland Council [2018] EnvC 56

In the recent case Auckland Council v Auckland Council the Environment Court made a number of interesting procedural and jurisdictional findings relating to Auckland Council’s ability to appeal its own decision made as a consent authority.

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This Is Not the Bias You are Looking For - Council Role in the Resource Consent Process

Enterprise Miramar Peninsula Incorporated v Wellington City Council

In the recent High Court case Enterprise Miramar Peninsula Incorporated v Wellington City Council [2018] NZHC 614 the Court made a number of interesting findings on the role of councils in the resource consent application process. The Court: 

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Brookfields Congratulates New Award Recipient

Last week at the SOLGM Gala Dinner we had the pleasure of presenting the 2018 Brookfields Emerging Leader of the Year Award to Matt Keil, Senior Projects Engineer – Water and Waste Services, Southland District Council.

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Relying of Expert Certification

Local authorities are heavily reliant on expert certification when determining consent applications and compliance with conditions of consent, but which experts should they trust?

This question has recently been explored by the Environment Court in David Mulholland Consulting Engineer Ltd v Whanganui District Council [2018] NZEnvC 10.

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