Mactodd Lawyers

04/06/2026

Mactodd Lawyers is pleased to welcome Alex de Luen to the team.

Originally from Auckland, Alex has recently completed his law degree and is looking forward to beginning his legal career in Queenstown. Prior to joining Mactodd, Alex gained valuable experience working in retail for a national chain and in library and information management with an Auckland law firm, where he developed strong organisational skills and an appreciation for the importance of excellent client service.

Alex has a keen interest in building his legal knowledge and experience and is excited to be part of the Mactodd team and the wider Queenstown community.

Outside of work, Alex enjoys mountain biking and snowboarding and is looking forward to making the most of everything the region has to offer.

Welcome to Mactodd, Alex.

04/05/2026

Our Property and Trust Specialist Scott Donaldson is speaking at the MoneyHub Wealth Summit in Queenstown this June 19th, and we're proud to be part of it.

Scott will be joining the Wealth Structuring arc to talk about trusts, when they're actually worth setting up, when they're not, and how to think about them as part of a broader wealth and estate planning strategy. It's one of the most overlooked areas of financial planning and one of the most important to get right.

If you're serious about protecting and passing on what you've built, this is the session to be at.

19 June | Queenstown | 200 investors, business owners, and wealth professionals

Grab your ticket at 25% off here: https://events.humanitix.com/moneyhub-wealth-summit-2026?discountcode=MACTODD25

Join the MoneyHub Wealth Summit 2026 in Queenstown for 3 days of immersive networking, learning & inspiration for high net worths, business leaders & investors.

23/04/2026

We are proud to have hosted this month's Business-South BA5 at The BRAE, Tastings & Taps yesterday - Caitlin D***s shared the latest happenings at Mactodd, and talked about the success of the Mactodd Community Charitable Trust's 2025/26 grants round. It was a lovely evening, thank you to everyone who joined us.

Amazing BA5 tonight hosted by Mactodd Lawyers and Mactodd Community Charitable Trust at The BRAE, Tastings & Taps great to hear the great things that are going on around the town from Caitlin!

Business-South

13/04/2026

On Friday, Jayne Macdonald and Caitlin D***s were delighted to visit the newly-constructed Cromwell Menz Shed – it was amazing to see the result of a project years-in-the-making, and it is an incredible space for the Menz Shed members and community alike. The Mactodd Community Charitable Trust partnered with the Cromwell Menz Shed nearly 3 years ago, so to see the physical outcome of that support is very special for the Trust. Congratulations to the Cromwell Menz Shed and all those involved in seeing this project completed.

09/04/2026

Tanya Surrey and Maddy Patterson of Mactodd Lawyers visited the team at Baskets of Blessing in Arrowtown last week. This much needed local charity provides meals, food and gift hampers for those in need throughout the local community. The baskets are supplied to those suffering from financial hardship, health issues, mental illness, family bereavements and other life struggles.
Volunteers source food and prepare the meals for weekly deliveries. The Mactodd Community Charitable Trust has recently donated $10,000 towards the cost of a new walk-in freezer. Baskets of Blessing help so many, our trust was delighted to support their work in our inaugural grants round.

08/03/2026

Mactodd Lawyers was proud to sponsor the Bayleys Cromwell Charity Golf Day again on Friday.
Caitlin D***s joined forces with Terri Porter and Alison Mair from Custom Mortgages and Kate Andrew - Tall Poppy Real Estate for a fun day on the fairway – with funds raised going towards Cure Kids and the Dunstan Hospital Foundation.
A big thank you to Bayleys Cromwell, supporters and all those involved.

18/02/2026

The Yeehaw-and-Order team (Maddy, Caitlin and Eva) enjoyed attending the 4th Annual Forsyth Barr Business Roll Up Challenge at the Arrowtown Bowling Club last night, all in support of the Wakatipu High School Foundation.
It was an awesome evening of friendly competition, community spirit, and a few surprisingly strategic bowls! Most importantly, the event raised valuable funds to support opportunities for students at Wakatipu High School — something we’re incredibly proud to get behind.

10/02/2026

Welcome to the team, Boome!
We’re delighted to welcome Boome Kim, a Queenstown local, to Mactodd Lawyers. Boome has joined our Commercial Team, bringing valuable experience, fresh energy, and a strong connection to our local community.
We’re thrilled to have you on board, Boome — welcome to Mactodd!

22/01/2026

The government is proposing to replace the Resource Management Act 1991 which has been in place for over 30 years. The proposal has been described as a “once-in-a-generation” reform.
Two new pieces of legislation have been proposed: the Planning Bill focusing on land use, development, and infrastructure, and the Natural Environment Bill focusing on protecting ecosystems, freshwater, biodiversity, air and coastal environments.
Whilst this could lead to a new era of housing and infrastructure through reduced red tape, a reduction in local decision-making may make it harder for local councils and the people they serve to have their say.
Submissions on the proposal close on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Click here to read the full article - https://www.mactodd.co.nz/news-and-views/rma-speaking/
Please contact us if you would like advice on making a submission or on how these changes will affect you.

15/01/2026

Small Homes, Big Impacts: New rules for ‘Granny Flats’
New standards for detached residential units or ‘granny flats’ came into effect yesterday, officially known as The National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES-DMRU). These new standards make it easier to build. Here’s what you need to know:
The NES-DMRU allows one detached, secondary residential unit of up to 70m2 to be built on a property without resource consent if it meets certain requirements. These standards apply across the entire country regardless of whether the property is in a residential, rural, mixed-use or Māori-purpose area.
The permitted activity standards that granny flats must meet are:
• Internal floor area with a maximum of 70 square metres;
• If in a residential zone, it (together with existing buildings) it must not exceed a maximum of 50% building coverage. A minimum 2 metre front, side and rear boundary setback is required;
• If in a rural zone, a front boundary setback must be at least 10 metres and a side and rear boundary must be at least 5 metres;
• A setback of 2 metres from the principal residential unit.
If these standards are not met, then the relevant district plan rules apply.
There is an accompanying ‘granny flat exemption’ under the Building Act. Not all granny flats will meet the exemption standards. You should check with your local council to see whether your granny flat is eligible for the exemption and does not need a building consent. There are still requirements to notify the council before and after construction and to use the services of a licensed building professional to carry out and oversee building work.