Joan Forret

Background

About Joan Forret

After more than 20 years as a specialist environmental and planning lawyer and partner at Harkness Henry I have taken the exciting step to begin my own business. NZEnviro Law provides the platform for my continued advocacy and advice to clients and consultants within the RMA community. Since qualifying as a lawyer I have represented hundreds of clients with RMA matters over the years and have strong links within the RMA community. Those links are both with RMA lawyers but more importantly with planners, engineers, valuers, developers, farmers and the business community generally. In addition to the full range of application and plan change work, I have developed expertise in the areas of quarrying, air discharge consents, water allocation and Public Works Act negotiations. In March 2018 I accepted a Ministerial appointment to the Council of Waikato University and continue to serve on Council, as well as chair the Health and Safety, Risk and Assurance, and the Student Disciplinary Appeals sub Committees.In 2006 I graduated with a PhD from the University of Waikato having completed a doctoral thesis entitled "The Interface Between Science and Law". My research involved interviewing the members of the Environment Court (as a specialist legal tribunal) and considered the scope of scientific expertise and evidence.Before studying law, I was a secondary teacher, teaching science, chemistry and biology. I studied law at the University of Waikato, having previously obtained a BA in History and a BSc in Chemistry from Otago University. Specialties: Resource Management Law, Public Works Act, Reserves Act, Conservation Act.