The High Court is set to determine whether New Acland Coal’s application for an extension of the New Acland open-cut coal mine (Stage 3 Project) must be determined afresh as a result of bias on the part of the Land Court of Queensland. Read more

The design and construction of buildings in NSW are now subject to a new regulatory framework. This will affect many practitioners in the building industry including builders, building designers, building product manufacturers and suppliers, project managers and certifiers. Read more

Infrastructure contributions in NSW is set to be overhauled, with a package of proposed reforms on public exhibition and a NSW Productivity Commission review to be completed by the end of the year. Read more

The Bylong Valley Protection Alliance has been joined as a party in judicial review proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court challenging the refusal of development consent for a coal mine in Bylong Valley, NSW. Read more

Government’s intent to reform the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) has been formalised with the tabling of the Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2020 (WA) on 16 April 2020. While framed as a modernisation of the Act, the substantive reform proposed in the Bill is modest in nature and not comparable to the wholesale reform elsewhere in Australia. However, a number of the amendments will see far greater clarity and real procedural efficiencies, particularly in the Part IV and Part V assessment and approval processes. Read more

More complex, taking longer, and less certain. The Productivity Commission confirms that there is scope for improvement for regulatory processes, including reduced duplication of Commonwealth and State assessments and approvals. Read more

Proponents of projects under construction in NSW can now take advantage of relaxed work day restrictions under new COVID-19 amendments. Read more

New guidance from the NSW Environment Protection Authority may assist to determine when financial assurance is likely to be required. Read more