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Environment & Planning

Having recognised the importance of emerging issues many years ago, our Environment team has long been a market-leader in Australia

Our industry experience and technical know-how has made us the go-to team for practical legal advice about the risks and opportunities of environmental law and regulation.

How we can help

Getting the right advice on environmental issues is critical in today’s operating environment.

Our team will work in partnership with you to identify, negotiate and implement practical solutions that meet your business objectives as well as regulatory requirements.

We have extensive experience and proven expertise in a range of industries including mining, petroleum, wine, manufacturing, property development, environmental consultancy, financial services, agribusiness and energy. We help our clients communicate with regulators and help regulators understand the practical constraints faced by industry. This enables us to find and negotiate solutions that work in the real world – on the ground and in the plant.

Whether projects are big or small, we’ve assisted our clients to identify best-fit approvals pathways, prepare applications and supporting documentation (including detailed environmental impact assessments), engage with assessing authorities, environmental regulators and stakeholders, and negotiate practical and appropriate conditions of consent.

Our team regularly assists businesses to understand the range of planning and development approvals that their projects require and guides them through the application and assessment processes. Our experience includes the following:

Providing advice about appeal rights and procedures, and helping clients through the planning appeal process where necessary.
Managing environmental issues associated with project development, including compliance requirements and interrelated authorisations.
Advising developers about site contamination risks and liabilities, including investigation and management obligations, site contamination audit requirements and transfer of liability.

Our specialist industry knowledge and practical approach places our clients in the best possible position to not only understand and manage their environmental obligations, but also to get approvals and agreements in place to enable efficient and sustainable business growth.

Key services

  • Site contamination
  • Environmental compliance
  • EPA licensing
  • Environmental approvals
  • Environmental compliance training
  • Wind farm development
  • Planning and development, including approval processes and appeals
  • Project development, including major developments and environmental impact assessments
  • Incident response
  • Property and urban development
  • Air and noise emissions
  • Water pollution
  • Waste management and resource recovery
  • Vendor and purchaser due diligence
  • Climate change and sustainable development
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reporting
  • Carbon price impacts, including pass-through of carbon costs
  • Forest property agreements
  • Water access and water rights
  • Native vegetation clearance
  • Green claims

Experience

    Provided planning, development approvals, rezoning, site contamination management and other advice in respect of a number of recent construction projects in Adelaide and SA

    Advised in relation to project approvals assistance (including preparation of application documentation, consultation responses, negotiation of conditions and where relevant, ERD Court appeals) for major renewable energy infrastructure developments

    Advice regarding tenure, land access, water access, EPBC approvals, native vegetation clearance approvals, establishment of offset areas and purchase of offset credits for major mining infrastructure developments and the preparation and negotiation of associated documents and agreements

Our Environment & Planning Experts

Practice Head
kyra reznikov lawyer
Kyra Reznikov

Special Counsel

Annoushka Scharnberg lawyer
Annoushka Scharnberg

Partner

david martin
David Martin

Consultant