Whakatane District Council v Bay of Plenty Regional Council - [2009] 3 NZLR 799

Administrative law — Judicial review — Failure to follow statutory process — Decision of Regional Council to relocate headquarters — Stages in statutory decision-making process — Consultation with Maori — Procedural template — Formalising substantive question — Whether requirement to record separately in writing procedural template or manner in which compliance achieved — Whether compliance could be by implication or accident — Local Government Act 2002, ss 76, 77 and 79.

Local government — Meetings — Whether councillors required to be at all consultation meetings and hearings leading to decision.

Local government — Powers — Identification of problems and objectives — Commencement of stage of seeking to identify all reasonably practicable options — Consultation with Maori — Community views — Local Government Act 2002.