Navigate Your Environmental Law Obligations Without Compromising Your Long-Term Project Outcomes
Get strategic environmental law, planning and resource management advice, backed by 15 years of real-world experience.
Trusted by infrastructure leaders, project managers and government agencies across Australia and New Zealand
Trusted by infrastructure leaders, project managers and government agencies across Australia and New Zealand
01 – My Approach
Most Environmental Law & Planning Problems Don’t Begin With Bad Intentions
They usually emerge when regulatory decisions and consent conditions fail to account for the realities on a project construction site, how projects will operate in practice, how the community’s response evolves over time and how compliance obligations will work as the project progresses.
In over 15 years of practising environmental law, I’ve learned that developers, councils, businesses and communities usually want the same thing: places that are functional, safe and enjoyable to live in.
My role is to help make that shared vision a reality.
“She’s a safe pair of hands for problems that burn through people with less tenacity. I’d recommend her for exactly that kind of work — complex, high-stakes matters that need someone who won’t give up on them.”
Legal Services Manager, Timaru District Council
02 — Who I help
Clients who work with me are often managing:
Delayed, politically sensitive or increasingly complicated projects
Conflicting advice from planners, consultants or legal advisers
Consent conditions that are becoming difficult to operationalise in practice
Compliance concerns raised by regulators, councils or stakeholders
Enforcement action or escalating disputes
Infrastructure projects for waste, transport, renewables
Compulsory acquisition matters
How I can help
03 — Services
Project Approvals & Environmental Planning
Secure approvals, negotiate practical consent conditions and reduce the risk of costly delays or compliance issues later in the life of your project.
Project Recovery & Regulatory Compliance
Get your projects back on track with strategic advice that helps you balance regulatory issues and stakeholder concerns with your operational realities.
Governance & Risk
Strengthen environmental governance, manage regulatory risk and avoid the operational, financial and reputational impacts of regulatory breaches.
Disputes, Enforcement & Litigation
Protect your interests with senior representation during environmental disputes, investigations, enforcement proceedings, Council hearings, court appeals.
Identify Expert Witnesses
Identify and engage independent expert witnesses for complex proceedings, hearings and technically contested matters.
Strategic Advice for Complex Matters
Navigate technically, commercially and politically complex matters including compulsory acquisition, major infrastructure projects and multi-stakeholder environmental disputes with senior strategic support.
04 — Kia ora
I'm Ana Coculescu.
I’m an environmental barrister. I have 15 years of experience in environmental law in New Zealand and Australia. I started my career at some of Australia’s largest law firms – Baker McKenzie, HWL Ebsworth, Maddocks, before spending the best part of a decade working on complex environmental and RMA matters in New Zealand, most recently as a Senior Associate at Dentons.
I’ve advised on infrastructure projects involving transport networks, energy, water, waste and on commercial developments. I’ve appeared in the Environment Court, represented clients at council hearings, and advised on everything from consent strategies to contaminated land liability to climate risk under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. My clients have included Crown entities, large corporates, local government and small businesses, and the problems have ranged from the straightforward to the genuinely novel.
I established my own barrister’s practice because I believe clients with complex environmental problems deserve direct access to a senior practitioner without all the layers of complexity and the cost that usually comes with it.
If you want someone who will understand your situation, give you a straightforward answer, and stay across your matter from start to finish, I’d be glad to talk.
"There is some magic in the rule of law. You tend to miss it when it is not there. I do environmental law because the environment is the foundation on which we build everything."
Ana Coculescu
Why clients choose to work with me
05— Difference
Get Big Firm Experience, Without The Big Firm Overheads
I’m a barrister, which means I work independently. There are no big firm overheads, no unnecessary complexity and fewer conflicts of interest.
Work with a Senior Lawyer From First Call to Final Outcome
When you instruct me, you get me. Not a partner who hands your matter to a junior and checks in at billing time. You brief me directly, I advise you directly, and if your matter goes to a hearing, I appear for you.
Expertise Across All Facets of Environmental Law
Environmental issues are rarely self-contained. Planning can intersect with contaminated land which can intersect with waste. My breadth across all facets of environmental law means I can address the blind spots others cannot see.
Global Perspective, Local Experience
I bring a global perspective to my work, having practised for 10 years in Sydney as an Australian qualified lawyer and studied environmental law in both Australia and the European Union.
Practical Resolution Focus
Environmental disputes rarely benefit from unnecessary escalation. I focus on practical outcomes that protect long-term project viability, stakeholder relationships and future regulatory pathways wherever possible.
Trusted by teams navigating complex environmental & planning challenges across
Recent matters
06 — Selected work
Major Transport Project Safety Approvals
Advised NZTA on consenting strategy, options assessment and hearing preparation for the SH58 safety improvement works.
Resolving Strict Compliance Requirements
Strategic advice to NZTA on strict compliance requirements for Transmission Gully and on consents for associated works
Environment Court Proceedings
Appeared in the Environment Court for Whanganui District Council in proceedings seeking vexatious litigant orders.
Compulsory Acquisition & Landowner Rights
Acted for both dispossessed landowners and acquiring authorities across NZ and NSW — negotiations, valuations and appeals.
Waste Infrastructure Expansion
Advised Wellington City Council on consenting for the Southern Landfill expansion — mana whenua engagement, consultation, contaminated land.
"She thinks outside the box and challenges assumptions and thinking in a thoughtful manner."
Environmental Compliance Consultant – Auckland
Let’s talk to get started
07 — Process
Step 01
Book a consultation call
Book an obligation-free call at a time that suits you. We discuss the challenges around your project, approval, compliance issue or dispute — and see if we are a good fit.
Step 02
Get strategic advice
Together we develop a practical legal strategy that balances your environmental obligations and stakeholder concerns with your operational realities.
Step 03
Set up for long-term success
With the right strategy in place, you are better positioned to move your project forward today while avoiding unnecessary disputes or delays in future.
08 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually need a barrister, or can my existing lawyer handle this?
It depends on the issue. If your matter has a significant environmental or resource management dimension, for example a consent dispute, an enforcement action, a compliance question under the RMA, the ETS or hazardous substances legislation, then you could probably benefit from specialist advice. Barristers in New Zealand can advise and appear, so I can act directly for you or work alongside your existing lawyer as specialist counsel. The question isn’t barrister vs lawyer; it’s whether you have the right expertise on the issue.
Can’t my planner deal with this?
Planners are experts in planning rules, and on many matters, a good planner is exactly what you need. But when you need to know what the law requires, or what happens if you’ve breached it, you need a lawyer. I work alongside planners regularly. We do different things, and the work is better when each person is doing what they’re best at.
I’m a lawyer. Can I refer a matter to you?
Yes, absolutely. I work with law firms and other barristers who need specialist environmental or resource management input on a matter. I can step in as co-counsel, take carriage of a discrete part of the file, or appear at hearings. I work collaboratively alongside instructing solicitors, communicate clearly, and don’t overcomplicate things.
What does a consultation involve?
Our first conversation will take place over phone or video call. I’ll ask questions, tell you whether your situation is something I can help with, and give you a sense of what the next steps might look like.
Does it matter that I’m based in Australia?
Not at all. I’m admitted in both Australia and New Zealand and have practised in both jurisdictions. If your matter involves Australian environmental or planning law, I can advise. If your project spans both countries, I can navigate that too.
You’re a one-person practice — what happens if you’re unavailable?
It’s a fair question. I’m transparent about my capacity. I don’t take on more than I can do well. If a matter comes in at a point where I can’t give it the attention it deserves, I’ll tell you, and I have colleagues at the bar I trust and can recommend if needed. But the whole point of my practice is that you get senior, direct service. That comes with accountability for my own availability.
How do you charge?
I charge by the hour at rates that reflect senior practitioner experience without large-firm overhead. For discrete pieces of advice, for example a written opinion, a review, a strategy session, I’ll often give you a fixed-fee estimate upfront. I’ll always be transparent about likely costs before we proceed.