Louise is a planning and environment law specialist, with particular expertise in land use and zoning laws, infrastructure agreements, major government critical infrastructure projects and projects related to energy and energy transition. Louise is head of Corrs’ environment and planning practice and also leads the climate change and sustainability team within our responsible business and ESG practice group.
Louise has acted on some of the largest and most complex planning agreements in NSW and has advised on numerous extractive industry projects, including mining, coal seam gas extraction and quarrying projects, renewable energy projects and battery energy storage projects.
Louise provides strategic and legal advice to government and private sector clients on significant projects and assists clients to obtain planning approval for major mixed-use, residential, aged-care, retail, industrial and commercial developments across NSW. She also advises on environmental matters, including following pollution and contamination incidents.
Louise has extensive experience in Classes 1-5 of the Land and Environment Court’s jurisdiction and has represented clients in Federal Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal proceedings.
Louise has been an elected member of the Property Council of Australia’s Planning Committee since 2010. She is also a state-appointed member of the Western Sydney City Planning Panel and an alternative state member of the Sydney Planning Panels and Joint Regional Planning Panels.
In 2023 Louise was recognised as Partner of the Year in the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards.
Key deals
Santos Ltd – Narrabri Coal Seam Gas Project
Acting for Santos on the A$3.5 billion Narrabri Coal Seam Gas Project, including advising on various environmental and planning approvals for the project which will progressively install up to 850 new gas wells and 425 new well pads over approximately 20 years with the potential to deliver up to half of the state’s natural gas needs.
Green Square
Acting for Leighton Properties and UrbanGrowth (formerly Landcom) in relation to an A$8 billion mixed-use development at the Green Square Town Centre, making it Australia’s largest urban renewal project. This included drafting and negotiating the related planning agreement and advising on risks and issues associated with the adoption of green infrastructure.
Huntlee
Advising on New South Wales’s biggest housing project. This involved negotiating several planning agreements and advising and appearing in two sets of Land and Environment Court proceedings and Court of Appeal proceedings for the A$1.5 billion rezoning and development of land for a whole new town in the Hunter Valley.
Western Parkland City Authority
Advising in relation to amendments to planning controls to facilitate the expeditious delivery of high-quality development and infrastructure for the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Bradfield City Centre, including the 11,200 hectare area surrounding the Western Sydney International Airport.
Major Release Areas/Planned Precincts
Providing strategic planning advice to government and the private sector in relation to infrastructure arrangements for both rural and in-fill areas, including the Kings Hill URA, the Menangle Park URA, the North Ryde URA, Rhodes, the Carter St Priority Precinct, the Hunter Valley (Bellbird, Huntlee) and Green Square.
Contamination, pollution, hazardous chemicals and waste management
Advising clients (including NSW Police, Adelaide Brighton, Challenger, Woolworths, BP, Qenos, UrbanGrowth and Stockland) on contamination and pollution compliance matters, regulation of hazardous chemicals and waste management.