• Planning & Environment Advice: Advising developers and land owners on compliance and interpretation of planning scheme provisions, and state and federal planning and environmental law and regulations, including on development contributions, existing use rights and section 173 agreements.
• Planning & Environment Dispute: Preparing and managing planning appeals, planning panel or standing advisory committee proceedings and enforcement proceedings on behalf of developers, land owners and water authorities in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal including drafting submissions, briefing experts and counsel and instructing on behalf of clients at Practice Day Hearings, Compulsory Conferences and Final Hearings.

Environmental approvals/permitting and regulatory/compliance

• Barwon Solar Farm – Providing detailed advice regarding the Minister for Planning’s decision under the Environment Effects Act 1978 (Vic) in respect of the proposed 330-megawatt Barwon Solar Farm and 250-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System. Preparing written correspondence to the Minister for Planning advising of our legal analysis enabling the planning approvals process and environment report process to proceed to ensure timely approval of the project.
• Meadow Creek Solar Farm – Preparing detailed advice regarding EPBC assessment of the project in parallel with the planning assessment using the Victorian Bilateral Agreement pathway. Preparing written correspondence to the Minister for Planning ensuring that the project assessment process was conducted in a timely manner and that the involvement of DCCEEW, DEECA and DTP was managed in accordance with the statutory regime.

Carbon/climate change

• Advising on participation in the Emissions Reduction Fund (and international emissions trading schemes) including advice on project qualification and registration, carbon abetment contracts, contractual arrangements between project developers and landowners, interpretation of methodology determinations, audit requirements, and participation in ERF auctions.
• Drafting contractual agreements relating to ERF participation including agreements between ERF project developers and landholders and contracts for the sale of Australian Carbon Credit Units.