The NSW Government has introduced the Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2019 (Bill) to the NSW Parliament. The Bill responds to the Building Confidence report dated February 2018 by Professor Peter Shergold and Ms Bronwyn Weird (Report). The Report addressed the compliance and enforcement issues faced by the building and construction industry in NSW following serious defects with newly built apartment towers in Sydney. Read more

A draft bill to amend the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) was released yesterday for public consultation. The draft bill reflects a wholesale review of the Act and proposes the most significant amendments since it was enacted. All land users in WA whose current and future activities are regulated by the Act should closely follow these reforms. Read more

Developments have recently occurred in the Geraldton and South West native title settlements. In-principle agreement has been reached for the Geraldton settlement, while a further hearing in the judicial review proceedings relating to the South West settlement has been listed for November 2019. Land users with interests in these regions should follow the progress of the settlements. Read more

Wind energy facility proponents should take note of recent developments in the regulation of noise impacts from wind energy facilities in Victoria, which signal increased scrutiny of noise impacts from operations. Read more

The WA Supreme Court of Appeal this week rejected the appeal by the Conservation Council of WA Inc. against dismissal of its judicial review application on the Part IV Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) approval of the Yeelirrie uranium mine project proposal. Read more