Environment & Planning Law Forum
213V03: Survey significant new legislation impacting the environment & planning sector, including the latest on the EPBC Act reforms and the Environment Protection Act 2017 along with its Regulations & Environment Reference Standards. Delve into how the reforms are playing out in practice and how organisations are preparing for compliance. Catch up on new VCAT procedures and significant new cases impacting the area. Explore the latest in waste management & examine precinct structure planning.
Description
Attend and earn 4 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is based on VIC legislation
*We are currently offering in person registrations to 2021 Victorian events, however should Victorian government regulations not allow for this at the time of the event, your registration will automatically be transferred to live online.
Chair: David Griffin, Senior Corporate Counsel – Environment, Safety & Approvals, AGL Energy
9.00am to 9.05am Opening Comments by the Chair
ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING REFORMS
9.05am to 9.50am Legislative Update: the Final Report for the EPBC Act Review
- Analysis of the EPBC Act reforms: the latest developments and potential implications
- Environment Protection Act 2017: update on the Regulations and Environment Reference Standards
Presented by Jane Hall, Partner, Ashurst
9.50am to 10.35am Complying with the Reforms and Operationalising the General Environmental Duty
- Breaking down the duty’s requirements
- Getting organised and setting goals
- Insights into how organisations are preparing for compliance with new and upcoming legislative reforms
- The ‘new’ frontier for environmental management: ESG, sustainability and voluntary reporting
Presented by Tim Power, Partner, White & Case; Preeminent Environment & Climate Change Lawyer and Recommended Town Planning & Development Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide 2020
10.35am to 10.50am Morning Tea
10.50am to 11.35am A Guide to Recent VCAT Reforms and the Latest Planning and Environment Cases
- Recent reforms to VCAT’s Planning and Environment Division
- Creation of the new Environment and Resources List
- New forms, procedures and hearing arrangements
- The impact on matters in the Short Cases List and the Major Cases List
- Additional recent VCAT initiatives
- Insights into how to approach the new systems
- Planning and environment case update
- Analyse significant recent cases, the relevant facts of each, the key issues, and the practical takeaways
Presented by Sarah Porritt, Barrister, Young’s List; Recommended Planning & Environment Junior Counsel, Doyle’s Guide 2020
PRACTICAL ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENT & PLANNING
11.35am to 12.20pm Legal Issues in Waste Management
- Compliance frameworks overview
- Pitfalls to avoid
- Learnings from recent decisions
Presented by Sarah Varney, Barrister, Foley’s List
12.20pm to 1.05pm Precinct Structure Planning
Explore practical considerations and the latest developments in precinct structure planning in Victoria, including the key issues practitioners need to be aware of.
Presented by Natalie Blok, Barrister, Young's List
1.05pm to 1.15pm Final Q&A and Closing Comments by the Chair
Venue
RACV City Club
Level 2, 501 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
VIC
Australia
Parking Information
Parking is not included in your registration. Here are some options below.
RACV City Club Car Park. Click here to view rates
Directions
Nearby Public Transport:Tram Stations - William/Bourke St or Queen/Bourke StBus Interchange - Little Collins St or Supreme Court
Presenters
David Griffin, Senior Corporate Counsel – Environment, Safety & Approvals, AGL Energy
David Griffin has extensive experience advising clients on a broad variety of environment, planning, land acquisition and compensation law matters. David's practice spans across real estate, infrastructure, major projects, energy and resources, acquisitions and divestments, heavy industry developments and operations and includes commercial negotiations, cross-border transactions and crisis management. Having worked across Asia and Australia, David provides clients with tailored legal and strategic advice, suited to their businesses. Recent work includes - Melbourne Metro Rail Project (all aspects of land acquisition, planning and environment) and SKM Coolaroo Recycling Fire and regulatory affairs.
Jane Hall, Partner, Ashurst
Jane is an environmental, planning and water lawyer in Ashurst's Energy and Resources team in Melbourne, who specialises in complex projects and sites involving a range of difficult and inter-related environmental, planning and heritage issues and approval requirements. Jane has experience in a wide range of environmental, planning, real estate and water law areas and has a particular interest in contaminated land. Jane regularly provides advice relating to regulatory compliance, pollution issues and prosecutions, complex transactions involving contaminated land, compulsory acquisition, general commercial property transactions (particularly in relation to the water industry), and environmental and planning approvals in the Commonwealth, Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian jurisdictions.
Tim Power, Partner, White & Case
Tim Power is a Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, and leads the firm's Melbourne Environmental and Climate Change team. Tim has a diverse practice which covers environmental impact assessment and regulatory approvals of major infrastructure and resource projects, land assembly and acquisition, and native title. Tim has been recognised by leading industry publications as one of the premier environmental lawyers in the country and has been accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in environmental and planning law.,
Sarah Porritt, Barrister, Young’s List
Sarah Porritt is an experienced advocate having developed a broad practice in appeals work encompassing a wide range of regulatory reviews and planning, development and infrastructure related matters. She is the previous editor of the Lexis Nexis publication Planning and Environment Victoria. She is briefed regularly in Supreme Court appeals and trials in a variety of areas especially review hearings at VCAT and planning scheme amendments and advisory committees before Planning Panels Victoria having built her practice around her planning, development and regulatory background.
Sarah Varney, Barrister, Foley’s List
Sarah Varney is a barrister at the Victorian Bar. She has extensive experience in commercial and contract law, having worked as a solicitor and Senior Associate in infrastructure and finance at Clayton Utz, over a ten year period. Sarah undertook a secondment Jeantet et Associés in Paris in 2006. She has advised Australian government departments and agencies, financiers and project proponents on: contracting, tendering and financing for major infrastructure projects; loans, mortgages and securities; construction and property law; administrative law issues in contracting and licensing; and dispute resolution. This includes drafting project and ancillary documentation; reviewing bid documents; and providing advice on bidding processes, legislation and risk management.
Natalie Blok, Barrister, Young’s List
Natalie has been a lawyer for over 15 years, and a barrister for 7. Natalie has a background in administrative and employment law, focusing more recently on planning and environment law. Natalie regularly advises and appears for government agencies (including water authorities and local councils) and private parties in planning appeals, regulatory & penalty proceedings, inquiries & inquests and merits & judicial review proceedings. Her practice involves frequent appearance work in courts and tribunals, including VCAT, the Supreme Court, the Federal Court, the Federal Circuit Court, the AAT, Boards and Panels. Before becoming a lawyer, Natalie worked in the disability sector.