— Firm Insights —
Local Government and Water Local government and water are a key focus area for Russell Kennedy. The Russell Kennedy team includes industry leaders in local government law and related fields who work hard to build strong relationships and to provide mutual confidence and trust. We act for over 40 of Victoria’s councils, and have specialists in governance, planning law, environment law, administrative law and commercial all focused on local government and water businesses. Leading Principal Andrew Sherman was recognised as the 2014 Best Lawyers, Melbourne Water Law ‘Lawyer of the Year’. Russell Kennedy was named as winner of Best Provider to the Government and Community Sector in the BRW 2014 Client Choice Awards. We regularly visit our clients to understand first-hand their operating environments, with a particularly strong client base in regional centres and rural communities. Expertise in this team includes Planning, Environment and Building
• Statutory planning advice and representation extends from basic residential and multi-unit development matters through to detailed planning and environmental issues including contaminated site redevelopment. • Our experience includes Environment Protection Authority (EPA) works approvals, licence approvals and research demonstration and development approvals in respect of landfills, composting facilities and prescribed industrial waste reuse.
subsequent planning permits, environmental assessments and the acquisition of the land, including by compulsion • Major projects for local government, which due to our broad skills base allows our lawyers with specific experience to be called upon, effectively on demand, to provide total or ‘one stop shop’ solutions Governance, administrative law and statutory interpretation
The local government sector in Victoria is almost permanently under the microscope as it is impacted by a myriad of legislation, policy, and social and economic factors. Russell Kennedy is making a difference to our local government clients representing their interests across all their organisational operations. Russell Kennedy supports councils with delegations and authorisations to ensure that statutory procedures are appropriately carried out and powers are properly exercised. We act for councils in relation to special rate and charge schemes, assisting with reports to councils, and addressing councillors and local residents. We advise on the application of National Competition Policy, including conducting local law audits, advising on the application of competitively neutral pricing principles to council operations, and advising industry bodies. Our experience includes:
Our Experience Includes:
• Difficult and complex enforcement proceedings such as boarding houses, activities in green wedge zones and environmental enforcement related to contamination, odour and other nuisance related matters • Major strategic planning scheme amendments including rewrites of municipal strategic statements, local policies and other significant strategic changes • Planning and environmental issues associated with major site redevelopments (including those instigated by council). Proposals such as new industrial precincts, major freight and infrastructure facilities and the like, including the relevant planning scheme amendments, — 129 —
• Advising councils on meeting procedures, conflicts of interest, confidentiality and statutory interpretation issues, in respect of the Local Government Act and related legislation • Councillor conduct panels • Providing delegations and authorisations documentation • Advice on the qualifications of candidates and alleged breaches of the Local Government Act in council elections • Assisting councils with the commencement of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act, including developing a guidance manual on behalf of the Department of Health for use by council environmental health officers