Kirsty is a specialist planning and environment lawyer with over 15 years’ experience acting for private sector and government clients on renewable energy, major transport infrastructure, manufacturing, industrial and residential development projects.
She advises on the full suite of environment and planning issues relevant to her clients’ proposed developments and business operations, including planning approval processes and environmental impact assessment, contamination, pollution and waste law, regulatory investigations and prosecutions, compulsory land acquisition, planning and infrastructure agreements and climate change.
Kirsty has acted on numerous large-scale urban release developments across NSW, on major infrastructure projects and renewable energy projects. She also regularly appears in the NSW Land and Environment Court on planning appeals, compulsory land acquisition appeals and in the defence of environmental prosecutions.
Kirsty was previously a committee member of the NSW Urban Development Institute of Australia and is a regular mentor for the NSW Law Society Women’s Mentoring Program.
Key deals
Renewable energy – critical State significant transmission projects
Advising on all planning, environment and compulsory land acquisition components of Transgrid’s HumeLink, Snowy 2.0 Transmission Connection and Victoria to NSW Interconnector West transmission line projects including legal review of environmental impact statements, management of the compulsory land acquisition of publicly and privately owned land, negotiation of biodiversity offset agreements and post approval compliance advice.
Mamre Road Precinct, Western Sydney
Acting for major landowners to negotiate complex development contributions and works agreements with the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, State/local roads authorities and Sydney Water to deliver the public infrastructure required to support development of the Mamre Road industrial precinct (850 hectares) located near the new Western Sydney Airport.
Moorebank Intermodal Precinct
Provided complex planning advice and negotiated major works / State contributions agreements on behalf of Transport for NSW for the State road upgrades which will support delivery of Australia’s largest logistics and intermodal hub – the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct - by National Intermodal Corporation, ESR Australia & NZ and Qube.
Regulator investigations of environmental incidents / planning approval compliance
Acting for clients in the mining/quarrying, construction and industrial manufacturing sectors in response to investigations by regulators, such as the Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment regarding pollution incidents, waste disposal and compliance with approval conditions.
Genesis Care Acquisition
Advised a consortium comprised of China Resources (Holdings) Company Limited, one of China’s largest state-owned enterprises, and Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Limited on the environmental and planning compliance components of its acquisition of the majority interest in GenesisCare Limited.