Attend this seminar & arm yourself with the latest environmental & planning legislative updates, cases & reforms. Gain best practice advice & all the critical updates necessary to manage your matters successfully. Gain a clear understanding of the framework to the response to the flooding in Northern NSW, delve into environmental enforcement updates & existing use rights concerns. The skilled panel will unravel, analyse & deliver strategies & tips that will help your practice rise to new heights.

Presenters

Alice Spizzo, Director, Alice Spizzo Advisory
Alice Spizzo of Alice Spizzo Advisory, specialises in Planning & Environmental Law. Alice has extensive experience in government and the development industry as a lawyer, executive and senior ministerial advisor including Chief-of-Staff and Executive Director at the then NSW Department of Planning responsible for policy and legislative reform. Alice provides advice to a variety of business and government clients on planning and environmental approvals and licences, planning proposals and agreements, issues management, dispute resolution, governance and risk. Alice is also the Chair of the NSW Women’s Housing Company, a Community Housing Provider of housing and homelessness services for women in NSW. Alice has recently been appointed to the Board of the Homes Tasmania Authority which has been established by the Tasmanian Government to provide and manage housing in Tasmania.


Andrew Pickles SC, Martin Place Chambers
Andrew Pickles SC was called to the Bar in February 1999 after practising as a solicitor for nearly nine years at three large Sydney law firms. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2015. He practices from Martin Place Chambers and specialises in all aspects of local government and planning, environmental, valuation and compensation law as well as real property, negligence of statutory authorities and building cases. He was also the Managing Editor of the Environmental Law Reporter from 2011 to 2017.


Breellen Warry, Partner, Maddocks
With over 18 years’ experience, Breellen specialises in all areas of planning and environmental law. Breellen advises local and State Government clients, in addition to a range of private sector clients, including within the development industry, waste and education sectors. As well as working in private practice in Sydney and London, she has worked as an inhouse counsel for a number of government agencies in NSW and in the UK, as well as being seconded to NSW Government agencies. Breellen also has a particular interest in waste regulation, contamination, biodiversity conservation, climate change, environmental markets, pollution and heritage matters. Breellen has been recognised in the Doyle's Guide as a Leading Planning & Development Lawyer – New South Wales since 2020 and in the 2021 and 2022 Editions of Best Lawyers for Planning and Environmental Law. She is recommended by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2023) Guide for her work in Native Title.


Ian Ratcliff, Senior Solicitor, Shaw Reynolds Lawyers
Ian is a Senior Solicitor with Shaw Reynolds Lawyers, and currently lives in Northern NSW in Lismore. Ian has a wealth of experience after more than 20 years of practicing in public law and appears and advises across a broad range of jurisdictions. Ian has significant experience in running class 1 and class 4 judicial review matters for Councils and others in the NSW Land and Environment Court. His practice at Shaw Reynolds includes advising on a range of environmental, planning and local government and commercial contract matters, for local government, commercial and not for profit clients.


Sophie Whealy, Special Counsel, Madison Marcus
Sophie Hale is an Special Counsel in our Planning and Environment Division at Madison Marcus. Sophie has specialised experience in environmental, planning and local government law, having particular experience in obtaining development approvals in NSW, often via Land and Environment Court proceedings. Sophie has experience in negotiating all aspects and stages of planning approvals, including re- zonings, LEP amendments, and the preparation of Voluntary Planning Agreements. She has acted predominately for Property Developers and landowners in relation to planning issues and compulsory acquisition matters. Sophie also has experience working for Councils also in relation to development approvals.


Michael Mantei, Partner, Madison Marcus
Michael Mantei is a qualified town planner, practicing lawyer and accredited specialist in Local Government and planning law. Michael sits on the Law Society advisory committee for specialist accreditation in planning and environment law. He is the current chairperson on the Liverpool City Council local panning panel and alternate chair on the Camden Council and Wingecarribee Council local planning panels. Michael is also a community representative on the regional planning panel for the Wollongong, Camden and Wingecarribee Local Government Areas. Michael is partner planning, environment and government law at Madison Marcus Law Firm, having joined the Firm in March 2022 after 12 years as the sole director and lawyer of specialist planning law practice Planning Law Solutions. Michael started his professional career working as a town planner at various Local Government Authorities in Metropolitan and Regional NSW. After 10 years of service to Local Government, Michael commenced his career in the law where he has been for the last 20 years.


Ryan Bennett, Partner, Pikes and Verekers Lawyers
With over 18 years' experience in the area of planning and environmental law, Ryan has extensive experience in the Land and Environment Court, particularly in its Class 1 jurisdiction (planning appeals). Ryan has a strategic and commercially based approach to his clients’ planning and environmental matters. He employs a solution-driven methodology to resolving his clients’ issues, aiming to keep them out of Court where possible. Ryan believes that successful development involves a whole-of-development approach and an understanding of the strategic goals of his clients. He works hard to understand these goals early in the client relationship so that both parties are working towards the same end. Through his tested approach, Ryan is able to effectively represent his clients’ interests in negotiating with all levels of government authorities to achieve the best possible outcome.


Tom Ward, Senior Associate, Pikes and Verekers Lawyers
Tom joined the firm in April 2019 having previously worked as an in house solicitor at the City of Sydney and Sutherland Shire Council for nearly 10 years. Tom’s previous roles as an in house council solicitor have given him a detailed understanding of the operation of local government and the importance of working closely with clients to resolve complex legal issues in a practical way. Tom’s work is primarily focused on planning appeals and criminal prosecutions. Tom has appeared in numerous courts and tribunals including the Land and Environment Court, District and Local Courts and the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.