Navigate the complexities of land access and renewable energy negotiations, with a focus on regulation, effective agreement management, and maximising rural land use beyond traditional farming.
Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Chair
Georgiena Ryan, Principal Lawyer, Regional Business Lawyers
Supporting Landowners through the Renewables Transition
- Landowner protections
- Project Footprint, Project Design & Farm Plans
- Commercial and legal implications of “Land” vs “Premises”
- Project layout and the role of farm plans
- Controls around project design
- Landowner continued use and enjoyment of the land
- Co-existence & Land Management
- Access protocols
- Biosecurity
- Construction and Land Management
- Social Licence
- Landowner’s Rights to Deal with Land and Assets
- Exclusivity and project competitors
- Ability to refinance, sell, grant third party interests
- Biodiversity credits, carbon projects
- Supply of natural resources such as water, gravel, rock
- Ownership of Project Data
- Decommissioning
- Scope of Works & Standard of Performance
- Failure to Decommission
- Provision of Security (timing and amount)
- Early Lease Termination
Presented by Jess Salvato, General Counsel, Rela and Andy Leathem, Legal Counsel, Rela
Included are also the papers prepared by Phillip Brunner as below:
Rural Land and Access Issue; Renewable Energy Projects and Negotiation of Agreements
- Farmers and land access regulation in a rural property setting
- Negotiating agreements with renewable energy providers
- Effective operational management of land access agreements
- Looking beyond primary production: optimising the use of rural land
Presented by Phillip Brunner, Director, Bailiwick Legal; Leading Agribusiness Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide
Wind Farm Rural Leases - Key Issues
- Absolute Caveats over entirety of rural holdings?
- Unseen Tripartite Financing Deeds
- Rent as % of realised sales into grid? No underwritten minimum rent
- Unfair Contract Terms? Sophisticated corporate vs rural landholder
- Unfettered right of access across entirety of rural holding?
- No ability to deal with the rural property without consent? Neither transfer nor mortgage nor leasing
- No ability to terminate lease if wind project is materially delayed or even cancelled
Presented by Phillip Brunner, Director, Bailiwick Legal; Leading Agribusiness Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide
Description
Attend and earn 1.5 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Presenters
Georgiena Ryan, Principal Lawyer, Regional Business LawyersPrincipal Georgiena Ryan has experience acting as solicitor to family and farming businesses, initially in her home state of Queensland where she grew up and later in the New South Wales Riverina and Central West NSW. Georgiena has unique commercial and corporate experience having held in-house legal roles with a specialist international rural and agribusiness bank, and with a leading global agricultural asset manager, responsible for a significant irrigation and dryland farming portfolio across Australia. Georgiena is the only female Accredited Specialist in Business Law located in rural NSW and has a Masters in Commercial Law from the University of Melbourne. Georgiena has special expertise in water law and irrigation and has been involved in some of the largest agribusiness transactions in Australia. Georgiena lives in the south west slopes of NSW on her husband’s family farm. She is supported by the following team members who all live regionally in NSW.
Andy Leathem, Legal Counsel, Rela
Andy came to work for RELA in early 2024 after previously working for a well-known private law firm in Central West NSW for many years. In that time Andy helped in countless property transactions as well as advising on general commercial and business law. Andy has worked alongside a host of clients including property owners, developers, financiers and a range of other professionals. Andy’s ability to create relationships and connect with RELA clients allows for high level negotiations and smooth transactions. Growing up and still living in Central West NSW, Andy has a deep respect for regional communities and the people that live there. He hopes that while working for RELA, it will allow him to continue to give back to those communities and help people realise opportunities and reach their goals within the renewable energy space.
Jess Salvato, General Counsel, Rela
Jess is a highly respected female leader in law and business, with over a decade of experience, including stints at King & Wood Mallesons and Scentre Group. Specialising in property transactions and general commercial law, Jess has represented a wide range of clients, from property owners and developers to financiers, across diverse property sectors. Jess now has a deep focus on the renewable energy land space, leveraging her extensive background to lead innovative, sustainability-driven initiatives. Her dedication to excellence and commitment to driving positive change not only benefits RELA’s clients but also contributes to the advancement of the industry as a whole.
