Planning and Environment

We have extensive experience advising on development applications, from inception, during assessment, decision stage and post-decision representations. We are an integral part of project teams for the successful delivery of development projects including urban high-rise development, tourism infrastructure and master-planned communities.

We focus on the real issues in dispute and effective case management to help resolve disputes for our clients. Our team has been involved in notable cases involving managing land use constraints, planning scheme construction and decision making rules across all planning regimes of the last 35 years.

Explore our published judgments track record here.

We work collaboratively with consultants and council officers in determining whether proposed changes are minor changes. We are highly experienced in advising on the necessary material, pre-request response notices and assessment – for both minor or ‘other’ change applications, including for change applications made to the Court as responsible entity and in appeal proceedings.

We have unparalleled expertise in advising on currency of development approvals. We have developed comprehensive suites of lapsing checklists tailored for local government for the full range of development approval types and historical approval regimes. Our lapsing training workshop equips officers with essential practical understanding. This is complemented by our experience in advising on extension applications and acting in excusal applications to the Court.

We advise government and developers on timely and cost-effective delivery of infrastructure projects and land use and infrastructure sequencing. We help our clients with priority infrastructure plans, charges resolutions and infrastructure agreements . We have successfully conducted several leading cases in infrastructure planning and funding including Adam v Gold Coast City Council, Waverley Road Developments Pty Ltd v Gold Coast City Council and Douglas Construction & Engineering Pty Ltd v Logan City Council.

We have been longstanding advisors to government on implementing planning reform and preparing planning instruments, including planning schemes and temporary local planning instruments. We have unique experience in special purpose planning regimes and their relationship to mainstream planning, for example, port and airport land use planning, priority development areas and site-specific regimes such as integrated resort developments, mixed use development and the Local Government (Robina Central Planning Agreement) Act 1992.

Our team advises public sector clients on major projects. We help successfully deliver these projects through proactively identifying issues and providing solutions. We advised on planning and delivery of all competition venues, community facilities and infrastructure works for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Our work has included economic attraction special entertainment and screen industry precincts and recreational assets such as the Oceanway and artificial dive precinct.

Our private sector major project work includes SkyRidge (a 3,400 dwellings master planned community on the Gold Coast), iconic Village Roadshow Theme Parks and film production studios, the Gold Coast International Marine Precinct, cableway proposals, airport runway and terminal expansion projects. Our experience and insight extend beyond mainstream approval pathways, to coordinated projects, Ministerial call-ins and State facilitated development.

We have extensive experience advising on environmental approval requirements under local, State and Commonwealth legislation including development approvals, environmental authorities and ongoing operational compliance. We are recognised for our expertise in relation to vegetation clearing and environmental offsets.

We have a very strong track record in securing compliance outcomes, for unlawful land use and works. Wherever possible we assist enforcement authorities in securing early resolution and remedial action through the drafting of effective show cause and enforcement notices. We are also highly experienced in securing orders where Court proceedings or prosecution is warranted for repeated contraventions or for environmental harm or public safety risks requiring urgent attention.

We act for clients in declaratory proceedings which challenge the lawfulness of planning decisions. We have a successful track record in these matters and bring to bear our strong understanding of the distinction between administrative review and merits review, for example in Surfers Beachfront Protection Association Inc. v Council of the City of Gold Coast and Burke v Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning & Anor.