Kate has had close involvement in developments in and adjacent to the Coastal Marine Area, including marina and port facilities. Examples include:

• Acting for Sealord New Zealand/Eastern Sea Farms in relation to securing permits for marine farming in the Eastern Bay of Plenty;
• Bay of Plenty Iwi (Maori aquaculture settlement claims);
• Port of Tauranga (1997-2003) – Coastal Marine Activity consents, dredging and stormwater, Regional Council Coastal Plan and Tauranga City Council District Plan submissions and appeals
• Successfully opposing NZ Premium Aquaculture’s proposal on behalf of Katikati community residents.  In July 2012, the Environment Court overturned a Council decision to grant an application to operate an intensive land-based kingfish farm in Katikati. In this hearing, Kate was appealing for a large number of Katikati residents who opposed this activity. It was to be on a rural property replacing a kiwifruit orchard and on the harbour edge off Pukakura Road.   The Court concluded that the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the applicant (NZ Premium Aquaculture) had failed to consider that this particular activity had adverse effects on amenity, requiring a building greatly in excess of that permitted under the District Plan, and had not been properly bundled in the application for an integrated management assessment approach.