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Experience

Nicola practises in all aspects of planning and environment law. She appears regularly before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Planning Panels, Ministerial Advisory Committees and Inquiries, Heritage Council, Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, Victorian Liquor Commission and Supreme Court of Victoria.

Nicola advises and appears in a broad range of matters on behalf of landowners, statutory authorities and local government, including:

• Major mixed-use developments (residential, office, commercial and retail)
• Planning scheme amendments (rezoning, built form and land management overlays, policy reviews)
• Schools, hospitals and aged care facilities
• Gaming and liquor licencing
• Heritage (including the application of the Heritage Overlay)
• Precinct structure planning and subdivision
• Renewable energy projects including wind farms and waste to energy facilities
• Extractive industry and landfill
• Major infrastructure projects and environmental impact (EES) inquiries
• Restrictive covenants and general property law
• Water matters
• Surplus Government land
• Service stations and industry
• Development / infrastructure contributions
• Enforcement proceedings and regulatory prosecutions
• Land acquisition/compensation

Before coming to the bar Nicola was an associate at Maddocks and was seconded to Yarra City Council, and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (now the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action). Nicola has extensive experience in regulatory enforcement matters on behalf of the Department, local government, Environment Protection Agency and other statutory authorities, including in relation to native vegetation removal, encroachments on Crown land and contraventions of the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic), Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and other environmental legislation.

Nicola has lectured in planning law and RMIT, and legal aspects of public and environmental health at Swinburne University.

Nicola has been identified as a leading planning and environment barrister in the Doyles Guide since 2017.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation. The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Victorian Bar Inc nor the barrister's clerk have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.