Kierra Parker
Simpson Grierson
Kierra Parker is a specialist in planning and environmental litigation. She is a Senior Associate at Simpson Grierson based in Christchurch. Kierra’s enforcement experience includes acting for the prosecutor in RMA and Building Act charges, and in relation to obtaining and enforcing enforcement orders on behalf of local authorities (including appeals to the High Court). She practiced in planning and environmental litigation in Melbourne, Australia at Maddocks for a number of years. That work included a number of high-profile enforcement matters.
More broadly Kierra has experience in a range of resource management processes including in plan changes, resource consent appeals, declaration proceedings, judicial review, designations, direct referrals and fast tracked consents. She has specialist expertise in cases involving heritage matters, cultural issues, natural hazards and climate change. She is a published author (in the NZJEL, EPLJ and RMLJ) on a number of topics and a member of the Resource Management Law Association.
Insights from across the ditch: Practical Use of New Enforcement Tools
The Planning and Natural Environment Bills are intended to be passed by September 2026, and are set to transform the way our resource management system operates - environmental compliance is no exception. The Bills will introduce a suite of new compliance and enforcement tools, able to be used immediately. Two tools that will be particularly important for regulators are monetary benefit orders and adverse publicity orders. These can require the offender to pay to the regulator the monetary benefits acquired as a result of the commission of the offence, or to publicise their non-compliance and/or its effects.
While these tools will be novel in New Zealand, they are already used elsewhere – particularly in Australian jurisdictions. In Victoria, both monetary benefit orders and adverse publicity orders were introduced through the Environment Protection Act 2017. These orders have been available in New South Wales for even longer, forming part of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Australian courts have not only demonstrated what these orders can look like, but also what issues arise when they are put into use.
Drawing on commentary and exploring specific case studies from Australia, presenters Kierra Parker, Senior Associate, Simpson Grierson (who has previously practiced in both Victoria), and Stephen Quinn, Barrister, Capital Chambers, will share practical insights into how these new tools may be used in New Zealand (alongside existing processes, such as enforcement orders and prosecution). The presenters will workshop with attendees how these new tools can be adapted to our own environment and the opportunities they can provide for delivering deterrence.