transparency

Publishing • Production • Communications

Featured Project

Featured Pro-bono

Sparrow

Fix Hill Street Now

Showreel

Latest project

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.

Find out more...

Matakana War Memorial heritage application

Fix Hill Street Now: TVNZ Gutsful episode

Black & Silver Flag campaign

Matakana War Memorial heritage application

1/5

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.

Media Coverage

R v McLachlan: What was Constable Fairbrass thinking?

Grant McLachlan

Aug 12
21 min

Research

R v McLachlan: What was Constable Fairbrass thinking?

You'd expect that a police constable with ambitions of becoming a detective would be careful with their investigations, wouldn't you?

Photo evidence thwarts farcical prosecution.

Grant McLachlan

Feb 9
5 min

Press Release

Photo evidence thwarts farcical prosecution.

"If Mr McLachlan hadn't taken those four photos, would anyone even consider his version of events?" - Tudor Clee, R v McLachlan

Grant McLachlan

Sep 20, 2023
4 min

Otago Daily Times

How much of our culture is contrived?

Is our changing culture making us any the wiser Grant McLachlan asks.

Grant McLachlan

Sep 17, 2021
23 min

Feature

Eco-terrorism Snells Beach style

It started as a group who appeared to be well-meaning bird photographers. When they failed to get recognition and legitimacy from...

Grant McLachlan - Column

May 4, 2021
8 min

PERSONA NON GRATA

Small minds in small communities

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

Ex-ACT staffer Grant McLachlan says party created fake grassroots groups

Ruth Hill - Radio New Zealand

Apr 6, 2021
6 min

TVNZ

Ex-ACT staffer Grant McLachlan says party created fake grassroots groups

Political pundits and media experts are warning that artificial grassroots organisations are being used to manipulate public opinion.

Dopey economic theory causing social decline

Grant McLachlan - Column

Oct 14, 2020
4 min

PERSONA NON GRATA

Dopey economic theory causing social decline

The Herald headline read "Auckland Council golf courses a $2b-plus development bonanza." Here is the column challenging it.

Kiwis are more corrupted than they think

Grant McLachlan

Oct 2, 2020
5 min

Column

Kiwis are more corrupted than they think

New Zealanders place more trust in their politicians and journalists than they should.

Why we should have zero tolerance for Act

Grant McLachlan - Column

Sep 29, 2020
4 min

PERSONA NON GRATA

Why we should have zero tolerance for Act

Sex, drugs, fraud and bullying. What the Act Party doesn't want you to know this election.

Astroturfs: Act Three of 'Dirty Politics'

Grant McLachlan

Sep 28, 2020
13 min

Feature

Astroturfs: Act Three of 'Dirty Politics'

The history of astroturfs in New Zealand is closely associated to the history of the Act Party.

Grant McLachlan - Column

Jul 14, 2020
3 min

PERSONA NON GRATA

Taxpayer Union just a right-wing puppet

When pushing for more transparency and less waste in government, the NZ Taxpayers’ Union should be more up front who they're advocating for.

Nuisance bylaws on dogs are the real nuisance

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Nov 27, 2018
3 min

New Zealand Herald

Nuisance bylaws on dogs are the real nuisance

(Click here to view the published article.) Auckland Council officials are yet to exceed my lowering expectations of them. Their proposed...

State agencies should know the limits of their power to spy

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Jun 21, 2018
3 min

New Zealand Herald

State agencies should know the limits of their power to spy

Click here to visit the link to the original article. Click on the image below to enlarge. The government spy agency, Security...

Council officials make mockery of Unitary Plan

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Mar 5, 2018
3 min

New Zealand Herald

Council officials make mockery of Unitary Plan

To visit the original article, please click here. There is little point having an Auckland Unitary Plan if council planners ignore it....

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Dec 13, 2017
3 min

New Zealand Herald

Environmental watchdog sorely needed

To view the original article, please click here. To read the above image, please right click and download the image. The estuary after to...

Grant McLachlan - Column

Dec 7, 2017
3 min

Column

Condoning does the most damage

The late Frank Haden wrote a piece about my experience with bullying. It was the only national coverage of my trial. As more allegations...

Phil Goff painting himself into corner over North Rodney

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Oct 25, 2017
3 min

New Zealand Herald

Phil Goff painting himself into corner over North Rodney

To view the original article, please click here. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff's position against a North Rodney referendum to break away from...

Protected trees are falling to council incompetence

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Oct 4, 2017
3 min

New Zealand Herald

Protected trees are falling to council incompetence

To view the original article, please click here. The Auckland Council is causing serious environmental damage due to decisions based on...

FACT CHECK: Was the Boathouse Bay decision predetermined?

Grant McLachlan

Sep 30, 2017
5 min

Feature

FACT CHECK: Was the Boathouse Bay decision predetermined?

The decision by Auckland Council to grant resource consent for a 33-dwelling intensive development called Boathouse Bay has shocked many...

Helping form new govt untried strategy for Peters

Grant McLachlan - New Zealand Herald - Column

Sep 27, 2017
3 min

New Zealand Herald

Helping form new govt untried strategy for Peters

To view the original article, please click here. For all the reasons Winston Peters should support a National or Labour-led government he...

Featured Posts

Eco-terrorism Snells Beach style

It started as a group who appeared to be well-meaning bird photographers. When they failed to get recognition and legitimacy from...

Napier to Taupō road a sign of the country going backwards

The Napier to Taupo Road road represented strides in New Zealand's progress. Now, it demonstrates that the country is moving backwards.

Astroturfs: Act Three of 'Dirty Politics'

The history of astroturfs in New Zealand is closely associated to the history of the Act Party.

Our social security system isn't working

(Please click on image to enlarge) To view the original article, please click here. The biggest problem with our health and welfare...

State agencies should know the limits of their power to spy

Click here to visit the link to the original article. Click on the image below to enlarge. The government spy agency, Security...

Council officials make mockery of Unitary Plan

To visit the original article, please click here. There is little point having an Auckland Unitary Plan if council planners ignore it....

Rail a saga of missed opportunities

To view the original article, please click here. To view a zoomed version of this image, please right click on it and download it as a...

Phil Goff painting himself into corner over North Rodney

To view the original article, please click here. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff's position against a North Rodney referendum to break away from...

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...

Helping form new govt untried strategy for Peters

To view the original article, please click here. For all the reasons Winston Peters should support a National or Labour-led government he...

Publishing • Production • Communications

Featured Project

Featured Pro-bono

Showreel

Latest project

Media Coverage

Featured Posts

Search By Category

Search By Tags

© Klaut Limited, 2024.