pro-bono | klaut

Publishing • Production • Communications

Showreel

Books

Unleashed

Sex, rackets & vigilantes in

New Zealand's most corrupted community.

He wrote about vigilantes during the Covid lockdowns.

What could possibly go wrong?

How a clique used their council and police connections to try to silence an investigative writer through a series of stitch ups. This Kafkaesque farce delves into a community often at the centre of many New Zealand corruption scandals.

Matakana War Memorial heritage application

Fix Hill Street Now: TVNZ Gutsful episode

Fix Hill Street Now: Visit the campaign website

Matakana War Memorial heritage application

1/6

Welcome to Klaut.

Klaut is the publishing, production, and communications company of Grant McLachlan – a New Zealand-based writer. Grant is a prolific investigative writer of fiction and non-fiction for newspapers, books, and screen.

A former hearings commissioner, barrister, and solicitor, Grant has worked in the public and private sectors, ranging from a Parliamentary researcher and campaign director to a planner and infrastructure specialist. His columns in New Zealand newspapers and his pro-bono work has assisted many people involved in disputes with central and local government authorities.

On this site you will find links to his current and past work. There are several projects in development so please watch this space.

Sparrow

A Chronicle of Defiance

An epic account of The Sparrows

- Battle of Britain gunners who defended Timor as part of Sparrow Force in 1942.

It is the story of Charlie McLachlan's war: a triumph of stubborn Scottish defiance and laconic Aussie genius over the relentless violence of man and nature. Charlie survives and bears witness to some of the landmark days of World War II.

Media Coverage

Warkworth Golf Club aerial graphics

I was asked by the Warkworth Golf Club to aerial map their course. I discovered that my drone could do a lot more than that.

PRO BONO

Grant McLachlan

Sep 1, 20221 min read

Flotilla of mini-boats berths in Matakana

Scores of miniature marine masterpieces sailed into Matakana School on Queen’s Birthday weekend for a spectacular two-day model boat show.

PRO BONO

Sallly Marden - Mahurangi Matters

Jun 20, 20222 min read

Matakana War Memorial Heritage Application

Researching and preparing the heritage application for the Matakana War Memorial unsurfaced some disturbing agendas.

PRO BONO

Grant McLachlan

Sep 23, 20212 min read

Small minds in small communities

I smelt a rat at the Snells Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association AGM. So I set a trap.

PERSONA NON GRATA

Grant McLachlan - Column

May 4, 20218 min read

Support for shellfish petition

I was approached to help with the design and production of billboards for Omaha Beach's 'Protect Rock Pool Sea Life' campaign. I was...

PRO BONO

Grant McLachlan

Feb 2, 20211 min read

NAG exposes naked truth on Rodney roads

I was introduced to Maurie Purdy whilst having a beer with mates at our local. He discovered my background and asked for some input for a...

PRO BONO

Grant McLachlan

Nov 29, 20201 min read

War memorial gets official listing as historic place

Adrienne Miller with military historian Grant McLachlan, who wrote the 400-page submission for the Matakana War Memorial to Heritage New...

Mahurangi Matters

Sallly Marden - Mahurangi Matters

Sep 14, 20202 min read

Seven Sharp – Could this be New Zealand's worst intersection?

Grant is involved with the Fix Hill Street Now action group to fix New Zealand's worst intersection. He features in this item from TVNZ's...

TVNZ

Seven Sharp

Oct 5, 20171 min read

Little town wants a big roundabout

Grant is involved with the Fix Hill Street Now action group to fix New Zealand's worst intersection. He features in this episode of Radio...

Radio New Zealand

Checkpoint - Radio New Zealand

Jul 26, 20171 min read

Gutsful – Episode 4 – NZ's Worst Intersection

Grant is involved with the Fix Hill Street Now action group to fix New Zealand's worst intersection. He features in this episode of...

TVNZ

TVNZ, Greenstone TV

Jun 8, 20171 min read

Battiscombe gardens to get rethink

Original article can be found here. Battiscombe Tce residents have won another reprieve for their threatened vege patches. Last night,...

Stuff

The Taranaki Daily News

May 29, 20092 min read

The carrot and the stick

Young lawyer treats council to plates of humble brussel sprouts. Every now and again the New Plymouth District Council gets a jolly good telling off. Sometimes they deserve it too and Tuesday night's council meeting was one of those occasions. For the second time this year a smart young lawyer turned up and quoted all sorts of legal stuff and in the process pointed out bits and pieces that the council had got wrong. On the first occasion it was pointed out that chicken po

Stuff

Gordon Brown - Taranaki Daily News

May 1, 20094 min read

Hawke's Bay battler for the little people

To view the original article, please click here. For Grant McLachlan, saving Battiscombe Tce's gardens is just one more battle in his campaign to stand up for the little guy. The Hawke's Bay-based professional planner and qualified lawyer travelled to New Plymouth on Tuesday to make a submission against the removal of 12 gardens encroaching on New Plymouth District Council reserve land on Waitara's Battiscombe Tce. The gardens had been due for removal yesterday. Mr McLach

Stuff

Matt Rilkoff - Taranaki Daily News

Apr 30, 20092 min read