Amarind Eng

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Qantas have recently reached an agreement over Qantas' marketing for thousands of ‘ghost tickets’ for flights it had already decided to cancel. They will now ask the Federal Court to impose a penalty of A$100 million on Qantas for breaching the Australian Consumer Law. The case is an important reminder about the possible risks associated with misleading advertising.

Simpson Grierson was delighted to act for Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Limited (OGL) in a recent High Court decision which restated and clarified the powers of local authorities in granting licences to access and use unformed legal road. The case focused on the Hauraki District Council (Council)’s powers in granting a licence to OGL. It is also a very useful reminder for all local authorities in relation to the scope of their powers when granting licences to occupy Council land.

New Zealand’s parliament dissolved on 8 September 2023, ahead of our general election on 14 October. By convention, our government is in a period of restrained decision-making, and will enter a ‘caretaker role’ from Election Day until a new government is formed. So, what impact does this have on the government’s ability to make decisions affecting commercial interests in New Zealand?