Hubbards head back to the High Court

Timaru businessman Allan Hubbard says discussions to remove himself and his wife from statutory management 'have not been productive'. File photo / NZ Herald

Timaru businessman Allan Hubbard is challenging the decision that saw him placed into statutory management.

Mr Hubbard and his wife, along with seven charitable trusts, were placed in statutory management by the government in June last year.

But Mr Hubbard today filed judicial review proceedings in the Timaru High Court challenging that decision.

In a media release, the Hubbards said the judicial review proceedings sought to remove them from being personally subjected to statutory management.

They argue that the relevant legislation cannot be applied to human beings, as opposed to corporate entities or trusts; the process followed by the Crown in imposing statutory management was flawed; and
the information used to justify the imposition of statutory management was unsound and inadequate.

They said they had sought to cooperate with the statutory managers and the government to respond to their concerns and to have themselves removed from statutory management.

The Hubbards claim these discussions "have not been productive" and said they are left with few options other than filing judicial review proceedings.

Mr and Mrs Hubbard said they remained hopeful that a negotiated outcome can be reached and that they will continue to cooperate with the government and statutory managers to have them removed from statutory management.

- Herald Online staff