Samantha is a planning and environment lawyer specialising in the energy and resources, property, education and infrastructure industries.
She advises her clients on all aspects of planning and environment regulation including approvals, compliance, development contributions, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, water, biodiversity offsets, native title, cultural heritage, contaminated land and pollution. She also regularly assists clients in assessing project risks and provides practical advice for her clients in responding to regulatory investigations as well as acting for her clients in planning and environment litigation.
Samantha also practices in the area of modern slavery and regularly advises clients on their reporting obligations in Australia as well as achieving 'best practice' in their industry.
Samantha has contributed to some of the largest resources projects in Australia and is a trusted advisor for a number of industry groups in the energy and resources and education sectors.
She was recognised as a leading Environment and Climate Change lawyer in Doyle’s Guide in 2019 - 2023 and listed in Best Lawyers in Australia from 2017 - 2023. She was a finalist in the 2021 Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards in the ‘Planning and Environment’ category and the 2021 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards in the category of ‘Partner of the Year- BigLaw’. She was also included in Australasian Lawyer’s Elite Women 2021 list – being only one of 50 women nationally to achieve this listing.
Acting for Grafil Pty Ltd (Grafil) and Robert Mackenzie (director of Grafil) in relation to a criminal prosecution brought by the EPA in which it is alleged that Grafil/ Mackenzie used land as a waste facility without lawful authority.
Assisted Glencore in obtaining the State and Federal planning and environmental approvals required for the A$150 million Mount Owen Continued Operations Project.
Acted in prosecutions in respect of charges of polluting waters, failure to notify a pollution incident and breach of licence conditions.
Advised GrainCorp in respect of a number of environmental matters relating to their grain business across their NSW, Victorian and Queensland operations.
Advised the peak industry body representing the mining industry in NSW in respect of a number of key policy and legislative reforms including recent proposed changes to the NSW planning, biodiversity and mining legislation.
Advised a number of AIS’ member schools in relation to planning approvals required for school expansion projects.
There is a significant movement towards embedding the concept of nature positive into Federal and State environmental legislation. This raises the questions: why is nature positive a focus for...
In a cruel twist of irony, two of NSW’s premier minerals projects, approved by the NSW Government within just days of one another, have been nullified on the same day through two separate decisions.
The NSW State Government is well underway in utilising a number of levers to address the housing supply crisis, particularly with the commencement of the TOD SEPP. The question remains as to...