Sarah Ongley

Sarah is a Barrister with wide ranging experience over 25 years - in two of NZ’s largest law firms, as in-house counsel for a local authority, a large energy company and within central government (MfE, DOC).

Sarah is an effective environmental law specialist, acting for clients across the spectrum including iwi and hapū, NGOs, community groups, central/local government and private clients.

Sarah has had a longstanding interest in biodiversity, commencing at the Ministry for the Environment/Manatū Mō Te Taiao, at Mercury Energy and more recently as lead Counsel for the Director-General of Conservation on major applications (Te Ahu a Turanga/Manawatū Tararua Highway project, the Mt Messenger bypass project and the Dome Valley landfill). She has successfully led the negotiation of complex compensation/offsets in this capacity. Within the sphere of biodiversity, Sarah has also acted for developers, community groups and for the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of NZ Inc including in district and regional plan development.

Sarah lives on a lifestyle block in Ngāmotu/New Plymouth with her partner and son. She is an accredited Hearings Commissioner (Chair endorsement), a Freshwater Commissioner and a previous Chair of RMLA Taranaki. She is a Trustee of the NZ Native Forest Restoration Trust.