Overseas trips, child care, a pending birth and other commitments affecting witnesses' availability in an Environment Court hearing at Wanaka this week were considered by Judge Jon Jackson yesterday after illness prevented the counsel for one of the appellants from attending.
Annabel Ritchie, acting counsel for the appellant the Staufenberg Family Trust, asked for the hearing to be adjourned to "a later date" until senior counsel Vanessa Robb was well.
Jan Caunter, the applicant's counsel, opposed the request, arguing her client would be "significantly prejudiced" by an adjournment.
Judge Jon Jackson would not let the hearing be adjourned to a later date, but reshuffled this week's proceedings, adjourning the hearing later today to reconvene on Friday.
