Profile
Natasha is a partner in our public law team in Wellington, and has extensive experience in the health, education, and science and technology sectors. She advises government departments, Crown entities and State-owned enterprises, as well as private sector clients, on a range of public, regulatory, and commercial matters.
Natasha has played a leading role in advising the public health sector on the commissioning of critical services including primary health care, age-related residential care, and pharmacy services, representing several billion dollars of public spending annually. She also regularly advises clients on the legislative process, including the establishment of new public sector entities (such as Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand), statutory decision-making, and compliance with administrative law obligations. Natasha also advises on privacy and official information requests, clients' obligations relating to the collection, use, and sharing of personal information, and managing privacy breaches.
Work highlights
Advising Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand (and before that the Transition Unit in DMPC and interim Health New Zealand)
on the health reforms and establishment of Te Whatu Ora through the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, including on legislation, governance, and the disestablishment of health sector entities
Advising Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (and before that District Health Boards)
on significant national health contracts, including the PHO Services Agreement under which funding is provided for general practice and other primary health care services, the community pharmacy services agreement, and the age-related residential care and hospital specialist services agreements
Secondment to the Accident Compensation Corporation
providing corporate and public law advice on a wide range of matters, including the operation of the accident compensation scheme, health service commissioning, privacy matters, official information requests, and public records obligations
Advising an entity
on the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill
Advising a Crown entity
on a significant Ombudsman investigation into the entity's investigation of an organisation's use of public funding
Drafting new rules
for the New Zealand Council for Educational Research relating to council elections