Environmental advice

• MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct – Advised ACCIONA Energia on securing Federal and state environmental and planning approvals, and negotiated environmental offset and neighbour agreements, for the $1.96 billion, 1,026 MW MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct.
• Battery Energy Storage System – Advised a global leader in the production of sustainable distributed energy on the approvals strategy for a standalone BESS project in Queensland.
• Mining Sector – Advised Cape Flattery Silica Mines, Jubilee Metals Australia, Glencore/Mount Isa Mines, BHP, Yancoal, Fitzroy Australia Resources, Middlemount Coal, and Jellinbah Group on the following:
  • environmental impact assessments for greenfield and brownfield projects;
  • securing environmental, water, and planning approvals;
  • operational requirements; and
  • rehabilitation and closure planning.
• Refineries – Advised refinery operators on transport, storage, and disposal of regulated waste.
• State Government – Prepared specialist input for legal reports supporting detailed business cases for road and hospital projects in Queensland.  
• AGL Energy – Seconded to AGL Energy’s Sydney headquarters to advise on renewable energy projects and decommissioning of the Camden Gas Project.
   

Transactional experience

• WestConnex Toll Roads – Advised NSW Treasury and Transport for NSW on the $9.3 billion disposal of the State’s 51% interest in WestConnex Toll Roads.
• Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund – Advised QIC on the fund’s first two investments, being: a $20 million facility to EQ Resources for the Mt Carbine tungsten project, and a $30 million facility to Alpha Sapphire for its sapphire glass business.
• Queensland Airports Limited – Advised Macquarie Asset Management-managed The Infrastructure Fund, State Super, and Australian Retirement Trust on the sale of their combined 74.25% interest in Queensland Airports Limited to a consortium comprising KKR and the Skip Essential Infrastructure Fund.
• QCLNG Pipeline – Advised APA Group on its approximately $6.05 billion acquisition of the Queensland Curtis LNG pipeline from BG Group.
• Whitsunday Solar Farm and Gannawarra Solar Farm – Advised the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale on a $230 million debt facility for a portfolio of large-scale solar farm projects in Queensland and Victoria.  
• Coal-Fired Power Station – Advised energy company on the acquisition of a coal-fired power station and drafted an agreement with the relevant State Government outlining responsibilities for decommissioning and site remediation at the end of the power station’s operational life.
   

Specialist litigation

• Daunia Mine – Represented BHP in the Land Court of Queensland and the Land Appeal Court in relation to the progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (‘PRCP’) application for the mine.  
• Queensland Bulk Terminals – Represented Wilmar Trading, owner of the bulk liquid and grain storage, shipping, and handling facility, in a submitter appeal before the Planning and Environment Court of Queensland.
• Olive Downs Coking Coal Complex – Represented Pembroke Resources in the Land Court of Queensland in a mining objection hearing, and in the Supreme Court of Queensland in judicial review proceedings.
   

Environmental enforcement

• Freight Rail – Represented Pacific National in the Planning and Environment Court in an appeal against an enforcement notice issued by Brisbane City Council regarding alleged noise nuisance.
• Investigations in the Resources Sector – Advised clients in the mining and gas sectors on environmental incidents, regulatory investigations (including responding to notices to produce documents and attend interviews), audits, and enforcement actions taken by Federal, state, and local regulators in Queensland and New South Wales.