The law applying to land use and planning is of great significance to many projects and transactions. Planning advice must be attuned to the client’s commercial imperatives, as well as to the political, technical, and stakeholder relationship aspects of the client’s business or operations. For our clients, this means a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to legal advice and problem solving.

Our expertise includes:

• strategic advice on land use planning issues and approval procedures
• advising on legal and policy frameworks 
• representation in the relevant tribunals, panels, commissions and courts
  

Examples of our recent experience include:

• Rouse Hill regional centre, Sydney – Adviser to Lend Lease in relation to land use and planning issues associated with the Rouse Hill regional centre community development.
• Raffles redevelopment, Perth – Adviser to the developer with respect to planning approvals and heritage issues for the Raffles redevelopment.
• Roma Street residential precinct, Queensland – Adviser to the Department of Public Works in relation to the Roma Street redevelopment project, including both the residential and parkland precincts.
• Lake Federation Resort, Ballarat – Advising in relation to all planning issues for this proposed A$100 million residential and resort development in Ballarat.
• Federation Square and AFL Park projects, Melbourne – Adviser to the Victorian Minister for Planning and the Department of Infrastructure on a range of significant legal and policy issues, including major projects such as Federation Square and the AFL Park redevelopment.
• Commonwealth Games Village, Melbourne – Adviser to the Office Commonwealth Games Coordination on planning for the Games Village in Parkville and on legislation for other Games venues.
• Twin Waters and Hyatt Coolum Resort, Queensland – Adviser to Lend Lease Development in relation to planning issues for integrated residential development of land surrounding established resorts on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Land use planning is a highly specialised area of law, which operates in tandem with other environmental, heritage and natural resource management legislation. State and territory planning systems are inherently political processes, operating within a complex legal and policy framework.

Freehills’ vast planning experience, combined with our keen understanding of the politicised environment in which major development proposals are considered, means our planning lawyers provide cutting edge legal and commercial services on all aspects of strategic planning for land use and development, and on major property projects.