LAND COMPENSATION
CLAIMS FOR
PUBLIC WORK PROJECTS

LAND COMPENSATION CLAIMS

If you receive a letter from Auckland Council or a government agency notifying you that your land is going to be taken for public works, your first step is to get in touch with one of our lawyers at GML so we can provide you with some preliminary advice and assistance.

New Zealand is currently directing billions of dollars of taxpayers’ funds towards the construction and erection of a range of Public Works Projects. These include widening existing roads, building new motorways, expanding public schools and ongoing rebuilding following the Christchurch earthquakes. For the government to be able to do this, they need to acquire privately owned land and buildings under the Public Works Act 1981, which mandates that affected landowners be compensated in full.

The key principle behind compensation is that the monetary award must be the equivalent of the loss suffered. This means compensation is available for the full value of the land and buildings on it, any damage which results, business loss, any disturbances caused and relocation fees. Furthermore, the landowner is entitled to be reimbursed for all their reasonable legal fees.

If your land or business is going to be impacted by a proposed Public Works Project, we can provide pragmatic and expedient advice, explain your rights to you, and assist you in negotiations to get you the maximum compensation available under existing law. We will walk you through the process step-by-step, explaining things to you in layman’s terms so you thoroughly understand the procedure and relevant law.

If you’re looking for genuine people, real advice and practical solutions, get in touch with our law office in Auckland today.