In the media

Commonwealth

Carbon copy: How Qld scheme planted the seed for money to grow on trees

The Federal Government wants to reward farmers with cash payments for improving their environmental performance, cultivating an idea that germinated in Queensland (21 May 2021). More...

Victoria

$3.3m investment to enhance Docklands waterways

More than $3.3 million will flow into projects that activate and enhance Docklands waterways, as part of the City of Melbourne's 2021-22 Budget (25 May 2021). More...

ARA's $800m office plans for Southgate win council support

The Australian arm of Singapore-headquartered ARA Asset Management is close to breaking ground on a $800-million office tower in central Melbourne after receiving approval from the council (24 May 2021). More...

6 stars for Collins Square

Collins Square, one of the largest commercial developments in Australia, has received 6 stars NABERS Indoor Environment ratings for all four of its towers. NABERS Director Carlos Flores says Collins Square is a flagship for future developments that aim to be sustainable enterprises (21 May 2021). More...

Planning to start on Central Pier

Development Victoria will commence planning for extensive stakeholder and community consultation on the redevelopment of Central Pier, following the Victoria Government's allocation of $3 million announced in the State Budget (21 May 2021). More...

Stockland estate the scene of largest national recycled road

Stockland's Minta estate, located in Berwick, south-east of Melbourne, will soon be home to Australia's largest environmentally friendly road project, spanning more than two kilometres of roadway (21 May 2021). More...

New housing taxes will only stall economic recovery

The surge in new housing activity currently driving Australia's economic recovery from COVID-19 will be put at risk by states adopting unprecedented new development taxes that will stall construction and hurt homebuyers. The UDIA said taxes announced by the Victorian Government are damaging and cause for significant concern for the community (20 May 2021). More...

Charter Hall gets nod for CBD office tower

Charter Hall has secured approval for a sizeable commercial development in Melbourne's recovering CBD. The heritage-graded Kilkenny Inn building at the corner of King and Lonsdale will be retained as part of the development (19 May 2021). More...

Unlocking the city's economic prosperity beyond recovery

The City of Melbourne is aiming to become one of the best cities on the globe for attracting businesses and jobs of the future, while also supporting key traditional strengths such as international education and tourism (19 May 2021). More...

CHL Group awarded $400m social housing fund

The federal government's National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation has awarded affordable housing provider CHL Group a newly established Victorian ground-lease housing contract (18 May 2021). More...

Delivering In Fishermans Bend

A $179.4 million funding package from the Victorian Government will kick-start the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct, with Stage One being delivered by Development Victoria. This first step will involve remediation of the 32-hectare GMH site – an area equal to 15 MCGs – and the installation of crucial infrastructure and services to make an investment-ready precinct. (17 May 2021). More...

Communities to have a say in new parks

The Andrews Labor Government is inviting the community to have their say on what 1,000 hectares of new and improved parks in Melbourne's western and south eastern suburbs will look like (17 May 2021). More...

Lobby groups slam Victoria's $2.7bn 'tax gouge'

Industry lobby groups have launched a scathing attack on the Victorian government's plans to claw back millions of dollars from the development industry, claiming developers would not be able to absorb the costs and that they would be passed on to consumers (17 May 2021). More...

Queensland

Adani's own count of endangered bird at mine shows 'shocking' drop

The first annual report into Adani's environmental operations at their Carmichael coal mine site shows an 80 per cent decline in the number of endangered black-throated finch (26 May 2021). More...

West End bridge lands on developer's doorstop

One of two new green bridges linking Brisbane's West End will link with a site that sold this year for $43.5 million and is primed for a major development project (20 May 2021). More...

Spit $93.6 million proposal means hundreds more jobs

Gold Coast will soon welcome an almost $94 million luxury development, that will support more than 400 new jobs at the iconic Southport Spit. Deputy Premier and State Development Minister Steven Miles said, as part of The Spit Master Plan, the Government had held an expression of interest process for the Village Centre South project, with Gordon Corporation Pty Ltd, the successful proponent (18 May 2021). More...

Developer announced for $90m Gold Coast precinct

A $93.6-million mixed-use project for the centre of a masterplanned redevelopment of one of the Gold Coast's most controversial locations has been approved by the Gold Coast City Council (18 May 2021). More...

In Practice and Courts

Announcements, Draft Policies and Plans released 2021

Victoria

SRO: State Budget 2021-22 handed down

19 May 2021 – The Victorian Budget 2021-22 handed down, includes announcements related to the State Revenue Office. We have an information table providing an overview of the announced measures. Note: New windfall gains tax of up to 50 per cent to be applied to planning decisions to rezone land from 1 July 2022. The total value uplift from a rezoning decision will be taxed at 50 per cent for windfalls above $500,000, with the tax phasing in from $100,000. Temporary land transfer duty (stamp duty) concessions for new residential property within the City of Melbourne local government area.

Draft Central Geelong Framework Plan (CGFP) and proposed planning scheme Amendment C431ggee

The draft CGFP sets a vision and high-level guidance for land use and development in Central Geelong over the next 30 years. The draft CGFP is in line with the State Government's Revitalising Central Geelong Action Plan 2017. For further information please visit Engage Victoria. Submissions must be lodged by 7 July 2021 (27 May 2021).

EPA leads new NEPM standards

Victoria EPA has played the lead role in coordinating the review of the national air quality standards which have been agreed by the NEPC. A new review takes into account evidence of the health effects of these pollutants and will be considered for adoption as reference standards in Victoria after the new Environment Protection Act commences on 1 July 2021. To learn more about the new AAQ NEPM standards go here.

Victoria naming rules review

Geographic Names Victoria has completed the first consultation phase of the 2020-21 naming rules review. The consultation and engagement process, has received more than 450 contributions, including over 400 from members of the public. In July 2021 with an anticipated release of the finalised document in December 2021. You can continue to track the progress of the review on Engage Victoria.

Queensland

PCA: Brisbane City Council Green Bridges Project update

Brisbane City Council has delivered an update on its Green Bridges Project with the announcement of two new green bridge locations connecting Toowong to West End and West End's Orleigh park to Guyatt Park in St Lucia. Planning is progressing for the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge with designs being released for new walking and cycling connections at the bridge landings. For more information on the Green Bridges Program please click here (27 May 2021).

Land Court launches Procedural Assistance Service

The Land Court has launched a dedicated Procedural Assistance Service website to assist self-represented litigants in the court (12 May 2021). More...

Consultations

Inland Rail – Helidon to Calvert project – draft environmental impact statement Closes 23 June 2021 Big Rocks Weir project draft terms of reference for an environmental impact statement Closes 07 June 2021 Cross River Rail Project – request for project change application – Clapham Yard, Moorooka Closes 04 June 2021

Cases

Queensland

Wormell Pty Ltd v Gold Coast City Council & Anor (No 2) [2021] QPEC 22 PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT – APPEAL – DEVELOPMENT CONTROL – CONSENTS, APPROVALS, PERMITS AND AGREEMENTS – MODIFICATIONS – GENERALLY – appeal against approval – where the appellant appeals against the approval for a material change of use – whether the proposed use is indoor sport and recreation or an educational establishment – where it was held that the use is for indoor sport and recreation – whether the use complies with relevant elements of the existing City Plan – whether noncompliance, if any, can be remediated by the imposition of relevant conditions – whether the application should be approved in the exercise of the relevant planning discretion – Planning and Environment Court Act 2016 Qld s 43; Planning Act 2016 Qld s 45.

Legislation

Bills

Liability for Climate Change Damage (Make the Polluters Pay) Bill 2021 HR 24/05/2021 – this Bill makes fossil fuel companies liable for climate change damage, giving victims of climate change, such as the 2019 – 2020 bushfire survivors, the right to bring an action against thermal coal, oil and gas companies for climate change damage.

This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.