Cooper Grace Ward’s planning and environment team provides commercial solutions to planning and environmental issues arising from property acquisition and development.

Our team has the expertise and experience to also advise clients about important risk management and compliance issues that arise with such projects.

The planning and environment team offers a complete range of services to clients in the private and public sectors and works closely with leading consultants in fields such as engineering, environmental science, planning and cultural heritage.

Planning Law

We have extensive experience advising commercial and private developers, those affected by development, as well as the public sector in relation to the planning system.

Our team members have detailed knowledge of current planning law and policies and provide a commercially relevant and cost effective service for our clients.

Our services include:

• Advising on development applications and approvals and planning instruments
• Conducting planning appeals
• Advising on infrastructure agreements
• Advising on heritage and native title issues
• Advising on resumptions and compensation
• Conducting resumption and valuation proceedings in the Land Court
• Advising on local government law and providing strategic advice
• Advising on due diligence and compliance issues of proposed development
• Drafting local laws and policy.

Environmental Law

We have been recognised for our expertise in providing advice on a range of matters including contaminated land and environmental prosecutions. We have a track record in assisting our clients in managing their environmental risks.

Our team has developed experience in this highly technical area and works closely with reputable consultants to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.

Our services include advising on:

• Contaminated land and remediation (including liability issues)
• Environmental audits, due diligence and impact assessments
• Pollution and emission licences
• Regulatory compliance and enforcement
• Directors and officers’ liability
• Waste management and landfill
• Flooding.

CGW’s Environmental Law team was ranked as one of Queensland’s most recommended in the Australasian Legal Business (ALB) Guide for Environmental Law 2008.

The ALB Guide is a series of detailed insights into specific practice areas, and their leading firms and lawyers. For the purpose of this Guide, the area of environmental law includes traditional areas such as Environmental Impact Assessment, management and advice on pollution and land contamination and general environmental liability, as well as newer areas such as renewable energy, climate change and advice on carbon footprints. 

Read our Legal Alerts for the latest information on Planning & Environment law.

A specialist group of Cooper Grace Ward lawyers were part of a multi-disciplinary team to win an award for Excellence in Planning Practice and Administration, awarded by the Planning Institute of Australia in 2010. The team undertook a unique method of resolving a Planning and Environment Court appeal, by proposing to jointly appoint an independent expert team to prepare a structure plan for a 15-hectare site which was commended as a significant example of how to promote good development in areas of multiple or competing interests.