Most recent meetings

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September 2023

construction caselaw / construction law development

Stuart Robertson

Back to the orthodox view – When is a payment claim arguably invalid?

Demasol Ltd v South Pacific Industrial Ltd

Brendan Cash

Successive adjudications: If it quacks like a duck…

G K Shaw Ltd v Green

Christine Gordon

Longstop no more?

Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Limited v Wellington City Council

 Flyer introducing our speakers and their presentations

Recording, CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

August 2023

2023 essay prize winners present their essays

FIRST PRIZE: George Sabonadière

Regulation and the Race for Robots - Opportunities and regulatory challenges in adopting smart construction robots in New Zealand

SECOND PRIZE: Oscar Ji

Inflation in the construction industry: is a cost fluctuation clause the right solution?


For George and Oscar's essays and presentations visit our members only area

Flyer introducing our speakers and their presentations

ABOUT THE NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF CONSTRUCTION LAW

The New Zealand Society of Construction Law was formed in 2005 to promote research and education in the field of construction law and a means by which people from throughout the industry could come together to discuss issues relating to construction law.

The Society has over 900 members from all sectors of the construction industry, including:
 
  • lawyers
  • architects
  • engineers
  • quantity surveyors
  • contractors
  • project managers
  • insurers
  • academics

BRANCH MEETINGS

The Society meets regularly for presentations by speakers, and these meetings also provide an opportunity for informal networking. Meetings are usually held monthly in:
 
  • Auckland
  • Wellington
  • Christchurch
with one of the sessions being livestreamed.  We usually host 'in-person hubs' in Hamilton and Queenstown for members to have the opportunity to network. We endeavour to a host a meeting in Hamilton and Dunedin during the year if possible.

There is no cost to members to attend these meetings. 

Copies of presentations, papers and some recorded sessions presented at these meetings are available to members in the 'Members Only' section of the website.

2023 Essay Prize Competition

Society of Construction Law Essay Prize Competition 2023

 

First Prize: $4,000 Second Prize $2,000

Winners were announced at the SCL AGM 29 June 2023

The SCL New Zealand’s essay prize is modelled on essay prizes offered by other Societies of Construction Law, such as the Hudson Prize offered by the UK Society.
The competition is designed to encourage an interest in construction law amongst undergraduate or recently graduated students and is open to those who have graduated within the last 5 years.

Eligibility

Entry is available to persons who have an interest in construction law and as at 31 October 2022 were New Zealand residents and:

 were undergraduate students at a tertiary institution in New Zealand, or
 had graduated from any tertiary institution with their first degree or diploma within the previous five years.

Essays have to be a maximum of 5000 words with an emphasis placed on contribution to the study or practice of construction law or to the application of construction law in the industry.
 

 

Congratulations to our winners

 

FIRST PRIZE

George Sabonadière

for his essay titled
Regulation and the Race for Robots - Opportunities and regulatory challenges in adopting smart construction robots in New Zealand
 

SECOND PRIZE

Oscar Ji

for his essay titled
Inflation in the construction industry: is a cost fluctuation clause the right solution?

 

Our winners presented their essays during August.  For their essays and presentations visit our members only area

Flyer introducing our speakers and their presentations

Previous years' winning essays published in Members Only Area

2023 SCL Conference 29-30 June - Te Pae Christchurch

2023 SCL Conference

hosted: 29 to 30 June 2023

From Surviving to Thriving

 

We were delighted to welcome delegates to Ōtautahi Christchurch, for the Society of Construction Law 2023 Conference.

Hosted at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre the world-class purpose-built venue.  One of Christchurch's capital projects centrally located in the city, Te Pae opens to the river on one side and a central city park.  Delegates were privileged to be able to participate in site visits to Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project and Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre (Christchurch Multi Sports Facility). 

Download Programme (A4 printable)

Click on the links below to find out more about our speakers and their presentation topics

Opening Keynote Alison Murray Transformation Lead - Client Leadership, Construction Sector Accord

Game theory: Efficient risk allocation in construction contracts

    Tom Horder CPB Contractors Auckland

Can you afford to be anti-environmental in 2023?

    Paula Nicolaou Wynn Williams Christchurch, Rebecca Saunders Wynn Williams Auckland

How New Zealand gets to net zero - lessons learnt

    Christina Bryant Hesketh Henry, Michael Salau Beale & Co

Surviving and thriving as an EtC

a). Roles and responsibilities

b). Reflections on the NZS3910 Review

    Craig Byers Savills New Zealand, Lawrie Saegers Rawlinsons Limited, Mark Cubey Engineering New Zealand

Toward a more considered and holistic approach to seismic building risk

    Cameron Eade Resilient Organisations

The construction industry’s changing risk & legal landscape - Are we preparing for a thriving “Glow Up” or just applying a #Filter?

    Hannah Bryce GHD Limited

 

sincere thanks to our sponsors for their generous contribution and support to the conference.

Upcoming SCL(NZ) meetings

11 October 2023

The New CCA Retention Regime

The Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Act 2023

Are you ready for the new CCA Retention Regime that comes into force on 5 October? Join Peter Degerholm as he gives a review for SCL

Register for Auckland in person
Hesketh Henry
Level 14, HSBC Tower 188 Quay Street Auckland 1010
11 October 5:30pm for 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Register for Dunedin in-person hub
Gallaway Cook Allan Lawyers
Level 2, 123 Vogel Street
Dunedin 9016
11 October 5:30pm for 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Register for the livestream (kindly hosted by Hesketh Henry)
11 October 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Flyer

 

November

Insolvency issues arising in construction law

Sam Holden (Chapman Tripp) in discussion with Brendon Gibson (Calibre) and Michael Harper (Chapman Tripp)

9 November Auckland
28 November Wellington
28 November livestream from Wellington
Registration opening soon

SCL 10th Intl Conf 2023

SCL(Turkey)

10th International Society of Construction Law Conference 2023

Winds of Change

18-20 October 2023

Swissotel The Bosphorus, Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey

Conference information, sponsorship opportunities and accommodation info

Visit conference website

Register here early bird until 31 August 2023 23:59 Istanbul time (GMT+3)

Now in Members Only Area

13 September

construction caselaw / construction law development

Stuart Robertson, Brendan Cash and Christine Gordon

presentation and recording in Members Only Area

 

August

2023 essay prize winners present their essays

FIRST PRIZE

George Sabonadière

Regulation and the Race for Robots - Opportunities and regulatory challenges in adopting smart construction robots in New Zealand

SECOND PRIZE

Oscar Ji

Inflation in the construction industry: is a cost fluctuation clause the right solution?

Flyer introducing our speakers and their presentations

 

July

EtC Panel (Engineer to the Contract)

Mark Cubey (EtC Executive Officer)

Recording in members only area

 

June 2023 - SCL Conference

From Surviving to Thriving

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre

presentations will be published to the Members Only Area once clearance has been received

 

May

The Working Day rate in NZS Contracts - is it working?

Graham Topp, Director, GTQ Expert Services, James Lyall of Lyall Hamson, Nick Gillies of Hesketh Henry

introducing our speakers |  Recording, CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

 

April

Insurability issues in consultancy contracts – what’s all the fuss?

Consultants often object to contract terms that are “uninsurable”.  But what does that mean?  Our panellists come from different sectors of the construction industry and will explore the types of clauses that might raise insurability issues in consultancy agreements and why it matters.

introducing our panel | Recording, CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

 

March

The CCA turns 20!

John Green and Catherine Green from the Building Disputes Tribunal

To mark the 20th anniversary of the CCA coming into force on 1 April 2023, John and Catherine shared their experiences, statistics, learnings, and observations gained through their roles as adjudicators and as an ANA involving the administration of thousands of adjudication cases over the past 20 years. 
Presentation, Recording, CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

 

February 2023

Adjunct Professor Kim Lovegrove MSE, RML and Mark Colthart (Fortyeight Shortland Chambers)

discussed identifying areas where NZ legislation doesn’t stack up well when compared with international best practice

Presentation, Paper, Recording, CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

 

November 2022

Delay, disruption, and the story of construction projects

David Watson (Hinds Blunden, Melbourne) and Arie Moore

dissused the interface and the nature between delay and disruption costs and the legal and factual basis for supporting these claims in a New Zealand context.

Presentation, Recording & CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

October 2022

Builders' claims for quantum meruits in Australia and New Zealand: in theory and in practice

Duncan Anderson

discussed quantum meruits and important aspects of how the law of restitution may apply with respect to payment for building work undertaken in Australasia

Presentation & Paper, Recording & CPD Attendance in Members Only Area

September 2022

“Arbitration Unveiled” – New Zealand’s Inaugural Arbitration Survey Report

Royden Hindle and Dr Anna Kirk

research into the use of arbitration in New Zealand and implications for dispute resolution in the construction sector

 

2022 Members Only Area for meetings and presentations

2021 Members Only Area for meetings and presentations

2020 Members Only Area for meetings and presentations

2019 Members Only Area for meetings and presentations

 

Congratulations 2022 Essay Prize Winners

 

First Prize - Chante Fourie

I See a Red Door and I Want it Painted Black

 

Second Prize - George Sabonadière

The Missing Piece?  The case for mandating Dispute Resolution Boards for major public infrastructure projects in New Zealand

 

Recommended for Publication: (no order)

 

Oscar Ji

Delay liquidated damages post-termination: orthodoxy as the blueprint for New Zealand? 

 

Jaime Laing

The Future Of Force Majeure:  When Climate-Related Disasters No Longer Count

 

Lydia Sharpe

reclaiming the future:  The construction industry and New Zealand’s fulfilment of its Obligations under international climate change law

Essays published in Members Only Area

New Members Welcome

The Society welcomes new members

Anyone with a strong interest in construction law is invited to apply for membership.

 

2022/23 subscription rates (GST inclusive):

$143.75  individual or less than 3 in company
$115.00 for 3 or more in same company

Membership Application Form

 

 

New SCL(Intl) papers are continuall added to the SCL International website

SLC(NZ) members can access these papers on the SCL(Intl) website

 

Need help accessing the members area of SLC(Intl)? 

Contact SCL(NZ) Manager Melanie Whittaker

 

WORLDWIDE CONNECTIONS

The New Zealand Society maintains ties with its sister societies in other parts of the world so that members are kept up-to-date about news and upcoming events in the construction industry in those jurisdictions.

New Zealand members have access to papers published on the SCL(International) website.

2019 SCL Fundamentals of Construction Law – the project lifecycle Conference

2019 conference delegates

2017 SCL Wellington Transmission Gully site tour

Transmission Gully site visit 

2015 Christchurch Key Projects in the Christchurch City Rebuild tour

Christchurch Town Hall site visit 

 

2019 conference delegates

2017 SCL Wellington Transmission Gully site tour

Transmission Gully site visit 

SCL 2015 Christchurch city tour participants

The Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct site visit

SCL(NZ) HOSTS A BIENNIAL CONFERENCE

 

2021: SCL(NZ) was proud to host the 9th International Society of Construction Law 'Building for Change' Conference

4-5 November 2021

Virtual (due to Covid-19 restrictions international and domestic NZ travel was prohibited), Auckland, New Zealand

9th International Conference Papers and recording

 

2019: Fundamentals of Construction Law – the project lifecycle - Auckland conference papers

23 July 2019 (preceded by SCL AGM)

Level 5 Lounge, North Stand, Eden Park, Auckland.

This conference covered themed project lifecycle stages of a construction project, from procurement, insurance, performance, to termination and resolving disputes.

2017: Identifying and Managing Obligations, Wellington - Wellington conference papers

15 June 2017: Site Tour - Transmission Gully

16 June 2017:  Conference at Te Papa, Wellington (keynote Richard Wilmot-Smith QC of 39 Essex Chambers, London)

2015 : Best Practice Procurement and Contracting in NZ Construction & Infrastructure - Christchurch conference papers

13 August 2015 : City Tour- Key Projects in the Christchurch City Rebuild (photos above)

14 August 2015 : Conference at The Chateau on the Park (photos below)

2014 : When the Contract Gets Dirty – applying the contract to on-site reality - Auckland conference papers

2012 : Construction Law Core Skills Seminar, Fundamental Topics in Construction Law presented by Leading Industry Practitioners - Auckland conference papers

 

2019 SCL Fundamentals of Construction Law – the project lifecycle Conference - Auckland

2017 Identifying and Managing Obligations - Wellington

2015 Best Practice Procurement and Contracting in NZ Construction & Infrastructure Conference - Christchurch