Presenters

Ballanda Sack, Special Counsel, Beatty Hughes & Associates
Ballanda has over 20 years’ experience advising on the full spectrum of environment, planning and valuation law. She has advised federal, state and local government bodies as well major corporates in a range of sectors. She has particular expertise in the assessment of major projects, climate change, coastal risk and heritage matters. Ballanda was a Senior Associate at Clayton Utz before joining the firm in 2013.


Mike Young, Professor Emeritus, School of Economics and Public Policy, University of Adelaide
Mike Young is Professor Emeritus in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide, was the Founding Executive Director of its Environment Institute, is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Mike is a specialist in water policy reform and his research led to the unbundling of Australia’s water licences and the resultant development of an efficient trading system and the Australian Government decision to transfer responsibility for the administration of the Murray Darling Basin’s water resources to an independent expertise-based authority. He played a key role in establishing Australia’s National Land and Water Resources Audit. Mike has held the Gough Whitlam and Malcom Fraser Chair at Harvard University, has served on Global Water Partnership's Technical Committee and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water Security. He was a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. In 2006, Mike was awarded Australia’s premier water research prize – the Land and Water Australia Eureka Award for Water Research. He has played a critical role in the consideration of options for the Murray Darling Basin. Prior to joining the University of Adelaide, Mike spent 30 years with CSIRO where, amongst other things, he established their Policy and Economic Research Unit. In 2003, Mike was awarded a Centenary Medal “for outstanding service through environmental economics”. His full curriculum vitae lists over 240 publications.

Marlon Shou, Senior Associate, Beatty Hughes & Associates
Marlon holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) / Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Macquarie University and a Master of Laws from Sydney University. Since his admission in 2014, Marlon has acted in a wide range of environment, planning and valuation law matters. He has particular experience in advising and representing dispossessed owners on compulsory acquisition cases, including in matters related to water constraints programs.