There are an unprecedented number of legislative reforms in environmental and planning law in both the federal and state jurisdictions in relation to everything from housing, to biodiversity and environmental protection licencing. With guidance from experienced and expert environmental lawyers examine the implications and practical strategies of working with reforms including biodiversity reforms, the proposed amendments to the Federal EPBC Act, changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the Protection of the Environment Operation Act plus proposed heritage law amendments. An unmissable program.

Presenters

Kara Mezinec, Partner, McCullough Robertson
Kara is a Partner in our Planning and Environment Team specialising in environmental, planning, local government and property law. She has over 13 years experience appearing as advocate across various jurisdictions in the Supreme Court and Land and Environment Court. Kara advises various state government agencies, state-owned corporations, local councils, private developers and energy companies. Kara’s broad and in depth knowledge of planning, environment, local government and property law allows her to provide strategic, practical and commercial advice resulting in high quality and cost effective results for her clients.

Hasti Kalarostaghi, Partner & Principal, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers
Hasti joined Hunt & Hunt in 2008. She is a senior leader and mentor of the Hunt & Hunt planning and environment team. Hasti works with government, corporate and private clients. She is well regarded as an expert in relation to planning and environmental law, compliance, merit appeals, and transactional and property development matters. Hasti was named as a recommended Planning and Environment Lawyer in Doyle’s Guide 2018 and 2019. Recognised for her legal expertise in valuation and compulsory acquisition of land and property rights, Hasti regularly appears at the Land and Environment Court on planning and valuation appeals. Her transactional work includes drafting complex agreements, providing advice on developer deeds, planning agreements and transport infrastructure agreements.

Samantha Daly, Partner, Johnson Winter Slattery
Samantha is a planning and environment lawyer specialising in the property, infrastructure, energy and resources industries. She acts for major miners, infrastructure providers and large developers, and advises her clients on all aspects of planning, environment and mining regulation including approvals, compliance, development contributions, water, biodiversity offsets, native title, contaminated land and pollution offences. She also regularly assists clients in assessing project risks and provides practical advice for her clients in responding to regulatory investigations as well as acting for her clients in planning and environment litigation. Samantha has contributed to some of the largest mining projects in Australia and has a 100% success rate in obtaining planning and environment approvals for her clients. She was recognised as a leading Environment and Climate Change lawyer in Doyles Guide in 2019, 2020 and 2021, listed in Best Lawyers in Australia from 2017-2021 and was a finalist in the 2017 and 2020 Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards in the categories of Planning and Environment and Projects, Energy and Resources. She was also selected as a finalist in the NSW Minerals Council 2019 NSW Exceptional Woman in Mining Award.

Robert White, Barrister, 12th Floor Wentworth Selborne Chambers
Robert is an experienced environmental law barrister. He practises in all areas of the Land and Environment Court jurisdiction, including civil enforcement, land acquisition and compensation, land valuation, judicial review, class 5 prosecutions, climate change, class 1 merits appeals, local government and class 8 mining cases. He has an interest in climate change litigation, acting in coastal erosion cases, and in matters involving large fossil fuel and renewable energy projects. In 2020 Robert has been instructed by the Wilderness Society in judicial review proceedings in the Federal Court challenging the grant of oil exploration rights to Equinor in the Great Australian Bight, and in 2018 Robert acted for a community group opposing a coal mine in the Gloucester Valley, in which Preston CJ refused development for the mine on climate change grounds. Also in 2020, Robert was instructed to appear for Lock the Gate before the IPC at the Vickery Coal Mine Extension Project public hearing and for North West Alliance at the Narribri Gas Project public hearing before the IPC. Robert prosecutes for councils and for the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) in respect of prosecutions under the Water Management Act. In 2020 he is involved in two such prosecutions for NRAR.

Tomas Bush, Special Counsel, Pikes & Verekers Lawyers
Tom is part of our local government and planning law team. Tom has worked as a lawyer for over 10 years, primarily specialising in Environment and Planning Law. Tom first joined Pikes and Verekers in 2015 and re-joined the firm in 2025 after various roles as an inhouse government solicitor and in private practice. Most recently, Tom was Special Counsel in the Environment and Planning Team of a national firm. Tom has successfully acted for developers and consent authorities on a broad range of matters, including merit appeals, judicial review, compulsory acquisition, environmental prosecutions and civil enforcement.