Mt Maunganui landslide: Ratepayers pick up $1.2m tab for council's legal bill

Tauranga ratepayers are footing a $1.2 million legal bill following the Mt Maunganui landslide after the council cherry-picked a law firm.Tauranga City Council appointed Meredith Connell on 26 January, just four days after the landslide that killed six people.They were: Lisa Maclennan, Susan Knowles, Jacqualine Wheeler, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, Sharon Maccanico, and Max Furse-Kee.The six victims: from top left, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Lisa Maclennan, 50, Susan Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, Max Furse-Kee, 15, and Jacqualine Wheeler, 71.SuppliedIn a Local Government Official Information request response, the council said the firm was selected after endorsement by the elected members and the chief executive."Given the urgency involved and the multitude of legal issues arising from the event, Tauranga City Council made a direct appointment after considering firms with national capability and recent experience leading the legal response to a natural hazard event."Meredith Connell was chosen because they are a national law firm capable of assisting with all legal aspects relating to the Mauao Landslide."To date, it said Meredith Connell had invoiced Tauranga City Council a total of $1,176,598.83 excluding GST for all legal workstreams. It had also given the council discounts worth almost $174,000.The council would not disclose the hourly rate charged by the firm, but said one of the lawyers working on landslide related issues was firm partner Nathan Spier.A spokesperson said he had provided services for the council since about 2014."Mr Speir's pre-existing professional relationship with Tauranga City Council on past and present matters, and his accumulated knowledge of TCC's systems, organisational structure, and staff members factored into the decision to engage Meredith Connell in relation to the landslide event and all legal processes that followed."The council said he was not the only partner at Meredith Connell working on the matter."They are an existing panel law firm of TCC and have assisted other councils following similar severe weather events, including Auckland Council in relation to the Auckland Anniversary Flood events, and Hastings District Council following Cyclone Gabrielle."The firm was assisting with rapid document review, strategic legal advice, the Paul Davison KC independent review, WorkSafe investigation, coronial inquiry, government inquiry, additional document review and organisational risk and assurance review.