Public Works Act Advisory

Land Matters provides strategic Public Works Act advisory services across infrastructure, transport, utility, and land development projects throughout New Zealand. Our team works alongside landowners, local authorities, infrastructure providers, and project teams to navigate acquisition, legalisation, easements, designations, and statutory property processes with clarity and confidence.

We understand that Public Works Act matters can be complex, time-sensitive, and highly sensitive for affected landowners and stakeholders. Our role is to simplify the process, protect our clients’ interests, and help projects progress efficiently while maintaining strong relationships and practical outcomes.

Land Matters has experience supporting a wide range of public and private infrastructure projects involving:

• Public Works Act acquisitions
• Easements and land requirements
• Road stopping and legalisation
• Designation support
• Infrastructure corridor planning
• Access arrangements
• Property impact assessments
• Stakeholder and landowner engagement
• Survey and legalisation processes
• Infrastructure delivery coordination

Our multidisciplinary team combines planning, surveying, engineering, and project delivery expertise, allowing us to provide integrated advice from project inception through to acquisition, construction, and finalisation.

We understand how infrastructure projects interact with:

• private property rights
• district and regional planning frameworks
• engineering constraints
• stakeholder expectations
• statutory approval pathways
• long term infrastructure objectives

This integrated approach allows us to identify risks early, reduce delays, and support efficient project delivery.

Public Works Act processes can feel overwhelming for affected landowners. We work closely with property owners to help them understand:

• how the Public Works Act process works
• what rights and obligations apply
• how proposed works may affect their property
• acquisition and easement implications
• survey and legal requirements
• compensation and property impacts
• practical options available throughout the process

Our team provides clear, practical advice and works to ensure landowners are informed, supported, and fairly represented throughout negotiations and project delivery.

Unlike firms focused solely on acquisition advisory, Land Matters provides integrated capability across:

• Public Works Act advisory
• cadastral surveying
• engineering design
• planning and consenting
• project management
• construction monitoring
• infrastructure delivery

This allows us to provide practical advice that considers the full project lifecycle rather than isolated property matters alone.

Our team understands how acquisition requirements connect with:

• infrastructure design
• construction staging
• consenting pathways
• stakeholder relationships
• long term asset delivery

This broader perspective helps clients reduce risk and maintain momentum across complex projects.

Practical and commercially focused

We provide advice grounded in real project delivery experience and practical outcomes.

Integrated multidisciplinary team

Planning, surveying, engineering, and infrastructure expertise working together.

Strong public sector understanding

Experience supporting councils, infrastructure providers, and community-focused projects.

Trusted stakeholder engagement

Clear communication and relationship management across landowners, iwi, councils, and project teams.

Regional and national capability

Supporting projects throughout New Zealand with strong understanding of local government and infrastructure delivery environments.

The Public Works Act 1981 provides the legal framework that allows central and local government agencies to acquire land required for public infrastructure and community projects such as roads, transport corridors, flood protection works, utilities, and public facilities.

Where land or property rights are required for a project, the Act sets out processes for:

• land acquisition
• easements and access rights
• compensation and reimbursement
• stakeholder engagement
• survey and legalisation
• objection and negotiation pathways

In most cases, acquiring authorities are required to make reasonable efforts to negotiate agreements with affected landowners before compulsory acquisition powers are used.

The Act also provides landowners with rights to fair compensation and reimbursement of reasonable professional costs associated with obtaining independent advice and representation throughout the process.

At Land Matters, we help clients navigate these statutory processes clearly and confidently, ensuring property impacts, legal requirements, and compensation matters are properly understood and managed from project initiation through to final settlement.

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If a public agency needs to acquire part of your land or secure rights over your property, you do not have to navigate the process alone.

At Land Matters, we work with landowners every day to ensure they are treated fairly, fully informed, and properly compensated throughout the Public Works Act process.

Importantly, the acquiring authority is generally required to cover the reasonable costs of your professional representation, including our advisory services. That means you can access experienced support without carrying the financial burden yourself.

What they do not compensate you for is the time, stress, and risk involved in trying to manage the process on your own.

Our team will guide you through every stage, including:

• understanding notices and correspondence
• acquisition and easement negotiations
• property and access impacts
• compensation considerations
• survey and legalisation matters
• stakeholder engagement and project discussions

We provide clear, practical advice focused on protecting your interests while helping achieve fair and workable outcomes.

Land Matters has successfully represented landowners and supported major infrastructure projects across New Zealand, including:

• Transmission Gully
• M2PP Expressway
• PP20 Expressway
• Ōtaki to North of Levin (O2NL)
• SH58 Safety Upgrade
• GWRC RiverLink Project
• Wairoa River Flood Control Programme

If you have received correspondence relating to your property or a proposed infrastructure project, contact our team today for clear guidance on what it means, what your rights are, and the best steps forward.