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Whats News in Planning & Environment

May 2009

Holding Redlich is named as a leading environmental law firm in all three eastern sea board capital cities in the Australasian Legal Business News (April 2009 edition)

Holding Redlich: Leading Firm in Environmental Law in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane

In a recent poll conducted by ALB Legal News, Holding Redlich was ranked as one of Australia’s top legal firms in environmental law. The article states that Holding Redlich is “commercial in its legal advice and impresses clients with its service; it had a “can-do” attitude and a “fantastic” information turnaround, met “tight deadlines” and was “very reasonably” priced.

The article also highlighted the legal skill and knowledge of Holding Redlich’s Partners and the width and depth of experience in both the public and private sectors. More...

This recognition is based on the work that we do.

This has included (and this is but a small example):

• Providing planning and environmental advice in connection with the removal and remediation of contaminated river sediments in the south arm of the Hunter River in connection with the proposed dredging and excavation of the south arm to facilitate extension of shipping channels in the Port of Newcastle;
• Acting on the acquisition of an interest in the 6 star Green Star and 5 star NABERS Energy development at 1 Bligh Street, Sydney;
• Acting on the acquisition, remediation and development of the former CUB Sydney Brewery site;
• Advising and making submissions on behalf of Westfield Management Limited to Panels Victoria in relation to proposed amendments to the Casey Planning Scheme;
• Assisting Westfield in relation to planning and environmental matters for its Bay City, Plenty Valley, Doncaster, Fountain Gate and Southland Shopping Centres;
• Acting on the purchase of other city office buildings and development sites and dealing with issues ranging from the green rating of buildings, heritage floor space, the true effect of development consents and ongoing obligations impacting on the value of the buildings;
• Acting on the development of land and maximising development potential, dealing with issues ranging from the payment of planning contributions to compliance with probity requirements and including the impacts of ecologically endangered fauna and flora, Ombudsman inquiries, dealing with neighbours and opponents and navigating the approvals system;
• Acting for the NSW Department of Planning in its processing of applications for major projects;
• Acting for the NSW Minister for Planning in prosecuting a coal mining company for breaching its project approval;
• Acting for private sector clients in defending environmental prosecutions (including breaching licence conditions, polluting waterways and cutting down trees);
• Acting on the compulsory acquisition of land and land compensation matters (and negotiating agreements to avoid litigation) and advising and appearing in land tax and land valuation matters;
• Appearing in the courts and appeals tribunals seeking development consents, permits and other approvals and defending consents and other planning appeals. (We acted for Frasers Property Group in successfully defending the first challenge to a major project approval given by the NSW Minister for Planning);
• Acting for clients with contaminated industrial land, former service station sites and asbestos contaminated buildings;
• Preparing Voluntary Planning Agreements, advising on the wording of applications and supporting documentation; drafting construction documentation incorporating green rating and similar requirements;
• Acting on the development of coal seam gas fields and pipelines and the sale of those and other resources;
• Advising on compliance with the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (emissions reporting) and the forthcoming mandatory energy efficiency disclosure scheme and Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (emissions trading); and
• Advising on and structuring the contractual framework for more than 15 green rated projects throughout Queensland for both the developer and the contractor including the Northbridge, Bundall Corporate Centre II, Orion Springfield, SW1 and AM60 developments.

And there is much more.

We work as a National team dealing with State and Commonwealth laws in their commercial and practical context.

We have a green star accredited partner in our Brisbane office (Scott Lambert is the only lawyer who is Green Star Accredited Professional in Queensland) along with several other senior lawyers and partners who are currently undertaking accreditation nationally.

Scott Lambert recently contributed to an article in the Queensland Master Building Magazine recommending valuable steps to consider before embarking a green star rating project.  More...

Our team consists of Partners Richard Abbott, David Brigden and Grant Parker, in our Sydney office; Chris Lovell, Lou Farinotti and St John Frawley in our Melbourne office and Michael Byrom and Scott Lambert in our Brisbane office, each with their particular areas of expertise. They work together and with our other Partners and with senior associates, including Robert Moses and Kate George, to deliver a standard of legal service across the eastern states which has earned our firm the recognition given by Australasian Legal Business.