Jessica Easton

Jessica Easton is a partner at Meredith Connell and a trusted advisor to the regional and unitary council network across Aotearoa. She advises councils on legal and policy issues affecting the sector, with a particular focus on natural hazards, flood risk, climate adaptation, infrastructure resilience and liability. 

Jessica works closely with regional and unitary councils on the legal frameworks that shape flood protection, asset management, risk reduction and community resilience. Her work includes supporting sector engagement with central government on the need for clearer, more consistent and more workable settings for managing flood risk in a changing climate. 

Jessica brings a practical sector-wide perspective to complex legal and policy questions. Her work sits at the intersection of statutory functions, infrastructure planning, community expectations, insurance availability and public affordability. She is particularly interested in how councils can make robust and transparent decisions in circumstances where risk cannot be eliminated, climate impacts are increasing, and communities need clear information about protection, resilience and residual risk. 

At LGNZ SuperLocal, Jessica will draw on her work with the regional sector to discuss the emerging liability and insurance pressures facing councils, and the need for legal and policy settings that support good decision-making rather than simply shifting risk back onto ratepayers and communities.