HopgoodGanim's leading Planning and Development team understands the intricate web of planning laws encompassing all levels of regulation, from Commonwealth to local government. That detailed knowledge allows our specialist lawyers to focus on the issues of direct concern to our clients and to deliver the best outcome for any planning or development issue.
Our Planning and Development practice offers a complete front to back end service, incorporating all stages of the development process from initial project advisory and strategic project development through to dispute resolution and litigation.
Advisory Work
We advise clients on all of the planning issues associated with development projects. We advise clients at the early stage of projects as to the appropriateness of a site, taking into consideration their unique requirements. We also advise clients at the development application stage to ensure that their applications are well structured to provide the best prospects of success.
Dispute Resolution
When representing our clients in planning disputes, our aim is to always achieve the most desirable outcome for our client. Litigation, and ultimately a hearing, is not always the most desirable path to follow. In conducting proceedings we will always be looking for solutions, which may include negotiation or mediation, to resolve the dispute and achieve the client's objectives. Our goal is to ensure that our clients have the best prospects of success in their development projects.
Areas of Expertise
- Town planning law and development approval processes, including litigation for stakeholders
- Advising on ESD and climate change, regional planning and master planning
- Due diligence investigations on large property transactions and public floats
- Land valuation and the compulsory acquisition of land
- Environmental approvals, compliance and enforcement issues
- Built heritage and indigenous cultural heritage advice
- Advice on vegetation, koala management, coastal protection and other environmental matters
Our Experience
- Advising Leighton Properties on the development of ‘HQ', a commercial and retail centre with two towers, providing approximately 38,500 square metres of office space and 3000 square metres of ground floor retail space.
- Advising Boral on its proposed development of a hard rock quarry at Reedy Creek, with approximately 84 million tonnes capacity. The Coordinator General has declared the project a ‘State significant project'.
- Acting for ALDI Stores in their planning and development work in Queensland, including successfully representing ALDI in its first merit appeal (and subsequent Court of Appeal proceedings) in Queensland regarding the proposed development of a store at Alexandra Hills.
- Advising Meridien on the planning strategy for, and the development of, the Port of Airlie mixed use marina, residential and retail development at Airlie Beach. The project involved a ferry terminal and marina berths, 15 beachfront homes, 365 apartments, a 140-room hotel, a 240-berth marina, a variety of restaurants and shops, and a transit centre.
- Advising WA Stockwell on the planning strategy for the development of the Noosa Civic Shopping Centre.
- Advising Coomera Resort on the master planning of 148 ha of land intended to accommodate significant planned residential growth in the area surrounding the planned Coomera Town Centre.
- Advising Mirvac on the proposed development of the Gainsborough Greens master planned community. Located at Pimpama on the Gold Coast, the project is anticipated to accommodate approximately 2300 households around an 18-hole golf course, with a range of retail and community facilities.
Infrastructure Charges Reform
The Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Act 2011 affects the existing regime for infrastructure charging under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. Here, HopgoodGanim provide detailed information on the Reform.
