Planning & environment
Good governance in the planning arena means making good decisions and enabling a fair and high quality process. We help agencies implement government policy and navigate through the decision making and review process. The Department of Planning and Community Development and the Department of Sustainability and Environment are two of our significant clients.
Our intimate knowledge of planning and environmental law, including the Planning and Environment Act 1987, planning schemes and the suite of Federal and State environmental legislation, helps agencies achieve high-quality policy outcomes, land use and development initiatives and conservation objectives.
Specifically, the areas in which we can help you include:
- conducting VCAT hearings
- conducting panel hearings
- compulsory land acquisition and compensation
- advising on responsible authority and referral authority functions
- advice in relation to other land-use legislation (heritage, subdivision, liquor, gaming, prostitution and other issues)
- managing a range of statutory approvals to enable the implementation of complex development projects
- Supreme Court appeals
- drafting planning schemes and regulations
Recently our planning and environment team managed a series of proceedings for the Minister for Planning, relating to the proposed development of the Convincing Ground, an Aboriginal site. The proceedings raised complex legal, political, environmental and cultural heritage issues. Through these, the VGSO has facilitated a proper planning regime for the site, taking into consideration Aboriginal cultural heritage and coastal environment values.
We have recently acted for Government in a number of complex and high-profile disputes, including litigation in relation to the Bald Hills Wind Farm, Port Phillip Bay Channel Deepening Project and Wonthaggi Desalination Plant.
