Oceans, coastal waters, estuaries and coastlines are subject to a wide range of industrial development as well as urbanisation, which sits alongside – often not comfortably – recreational, tourism, social and cultural use. Governments and regulators seek to manage this through marine spatial planning and development assessment, with the objective of achieving balance sustainable development and conservation. This means that marine and coastal development is highly regulated, multifactorial and multi-disciplinary and typically complex and often time-consuming.

OUR EXPERTISE

Our legal and regulatory consultants are highly experienced in guiding clients through the planning and environmental approvals processes of Australian State and Commonwealth governments, and also have experience in working in many other jurisdictions around the world. Our development approvals experience covers offshore energy production (traditional and renewable), operations and decommissioning, dredging and coastal construction for ports, marinas, causeways, coastal and offshore fish farms and floating structures, intakes and outfalls, desalination plants, sea dumping, pipelines and submarine cables.

Our approach for complex projects is typically to seek bespoke processes, aimed at avoiding duplication, providing for certainty around schedule and content, and to utilise where possible a risk-based approach to impact assessment and mitigation.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

​Kepa Kurl Esperance Aquaculture Precinct

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Review and Analysis of Environmental Guidelines for Cruise Ships