EXPERIENCE

• Acting in a case relating to the community land provisions of the Local Government Act 1993: Ryde City Council ats Friends of Pryor Park (1996) 91 LGERA.
• Acting in a section 56A appeal to the Land and Environment Court: Meriton Apartments Pty Ltd v Ryde City Council [1998] NSWLEC 73.
• Acting in a case relating to the validity of a Local Environmental Plan: Belongil Progress Association Inc. v Byron Shire Council [1999] NSWLEC 271.
• Acting in a case relating to the powers of councils to issue orders: Ryde City Council v Echt & Anor [2000] NSWCA 108.
• Acting in a case concerning the validity of a Construction Certificate: Lesnewski v Mosman Municipal Council [2005] NSWCA 99.
• Acting for public authorities and individual clients in Class 3 of the Land and Environment Court in relation to claims for compensation for the compulsory acquisition of land: Bezzina Developers Pty Limited v Leichhardt Municipal Council [2006] NSWLEC 175 and Sutherland Shire Council v Sydney Water Corporation [2008] NSWLEC 303.
• Acting in a case concerning the validity of an approval granted under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979: City of Botany Bay v NSW Land and Housing Corporation [2010] NSWLEC 160.
• Assisting owners of land being acquired for a number of government projects including WestConnex and Sydney Metro.
• Acting in judicial review proceedings in the Land and Environment Court and Court of Appeal in respect of proposed council amalgamations [2016/2017].
• Preparing, appearing and instructing in hundreds of Class 1 appeals in the Land and Environment Court, principally for councils, but also for applicants, involving issues such as:
  • • heritage
    • threatened species
    • view loss
    • flooding
    • bushfire
    • residential flat buildings and SEPP 65
    • seniors living
    • waterfront developments on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River
    • affordable housing
    • Child care centres
• Extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, including section 34 conferences in the Land and Environment Court and mediations/conciliations in other Courts.
• Acting for councils in the development of land, including a 60 lot community title subdivision, and all dealings with council land including sales, purchases, leases and deeds of agreement.
• Advising on and preparing voluntary planning agreements.
• Advising in relation to the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and other legislation of relevance to councils.
• Presentation of papers on planning law to College of Law, Australian Property Institute and Regional Law Societies.
• Former exam reviewer and occasional lecturer, LPAB Sydney University Law Extension Committee for local government and planning law.
• Forner member of Law Society of NSW Planning and Development Committee and Land and Environment Court User Group.
• Chair and an expert member of a number of Sydney Metropolitan Local Planning Panels.