Water

In recent times, Australia has experienced some of its driest weather conditions for more than 100 years. As water storage levels continue to fall, public and government attention has turned to the management of our growing demand for water and the deteriorating quality of our rivers and ground water.

Increasingly, Australian governments are recognising the harmful environmental effects of our past water and agricultural policies and are seeking to adopt strategies that will promote the efficient and ecologically sustainable management of Australia’s water resources.

Our knowledge of the industry goes beyond an awareness of water policy initiatives, regulatory arrangements and legislation. Through a long history of working with key water industry participants, we fully understand the commercial, economic and social environment in which they operate and the issues that affect the industry.

We provide a comprehensive range of commercially-focused legal solutions to the water industry, including:

• water infrastructure project development and delivery
• regulatory advice
• infrastructure project finance and structuring
• assessing and managing planning and environmental issues
• risk exposure and risk management
• dispute resolution
• native title and aboriginal heritage advice
• land access.

Examples of our recent experience include:

Desalination plants

• Wonthaggi Desalination Plant PPP, Victoria
• Perth Desalination Plant, Western Australia
• Southern Desalination Plant, Western Australia
• Tuas Seawater Desalination Plant, Singapore
• Adelaide Desalination Plant, South Australia
• Sydney Desalination Plant pipeline, New South Wales
• Burrup Peninsula Desalination and Seawater Supplies Project, Western Australia
• Mining desalination facilities, Western Australia

Water treatment & recycling plants

• Camellia Recycled Water Scheme PPP, New South Wales
• Industrial effluent treatment plant PPP, United Arab Emirates
• Changi NEWater Plant PPP, Singapore
• Ulu Pandan NEWater Plant, Singapore
• Mangawhai Wastewater Treatment Plant, New Zealand
• Victorian water treatment plant BOOT projects (Yan Yean, Grampians, Echuca, Rochester, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Taradale, Elphinstone, Ballarat, Creswick and Ballan Water)
• Western Australian water treatment plants (Subiaco, Beenyup, Woodman Point and Wanneroo)
• NSW water treatment plants (Prospect, Illawarra, Woronora)

Water supply & irrigation infrastructure

• Foodbowl Project, Victoria
• Wimmera Mallee Pipeline, Victoria
• Goldfields Superpipe, Victoria
• Supply of recycled water business case, Victoria 
• Ten irrigation schemes, Tasmania
• Millmerran Power Station and Callide C Power Station water supply agreements, Queensland
• Southern Regional Water Pipeline, Queensland
• Ord River Irrigation Project (Stage 2), Western Australia
• Harvey Dam Project, Western Australia
• Macalister Irrigation District Channel Automation Project, Victoria
• Anglesea Borefield Project, Victoria
• Ampara Water Supply Project, Sri Lanka
• Jabotabek Water Supply Project and National Water Supply Project, Indonesia

Privatisations & acquisitions

• Mid-Kent Water Acquisition, UK
• South East Water Acquisition, UK
• Prospect Water privatisation, New South Wales
• Irrigation scheme privatisation (South West, Preston Valley, Carnarvon and Ord Stage 1), Western Australia
• Privatisation of Melbourne Water testing facilities, Victoria
• EcoScience Privatisation, Victoria
• Southern Hydro Privatisation, Victoria
• Water sector privatisation, Thailand

Water policy, legislation & reform

• Irrigation Development Board — adviser to the Tasmanian Irrigation Development Board in relation to a water rights and sale framework for irrigation schemes to be established across Tasmania.
• Living Murray Initiative — adviser to the Murray Darling Basin Commission (on behalf of a number of governments) concerning development of an investment framework under which the governments could invest in water recovery measures.
• Joint Government Enterprise — adviser to the Commonwealth, Victorian and NSW Governments concerning a Joint Government Enterprise (‘Water for Rivers’) to fund water savings projects to create environmental flows in the Murray and Snowy Rivers.
• National Water Initiative — adviser to the Victorian Government in relation to the negotiation of an agreement with the National Water Commission for funding activities that assist implementation of the National Water Initiative.
• Water industry restructure — adviser to the Western Australian Government’s Water Industry Implementation Group on the restructure of the water industry.
• Report to Irrigation Steering Committee — adviser to the Western Australian Government on a report into the law relating to irrigated agriculture.
• Regulation of water sector, Sri Lanka — adviser to the Asian Development Bank on the development of regulations and guidelines for the water sector in Sri Lanka.

A key strength of our water practice is our multidisciplinary approach. We provide clients with a complete legal service for all aspects of water projects, from the formative stages through to the development and operational phases.

Our depth of experience enables us to assemble teams of lawyers across a range of practice areas to work on major projects at national and international levels.