Alison Thorp

Senior Associate

Qualifications: LLB, BA, Dip Leg Prac

Practices

Alison is an experienced planning and environment lawyer, whose expertise spans across Australia as well as internationally, having worked in London earlier in her career.

Alison has experience acting for a range of public and private sector clients, including property developers, statutory undertakers and major infrastructure providers, in matters involving residential and non-residential developments, major infrastructure projects, compulsory acquisition, and enforcement issues. Alison has also acted for developer clients advising them on matters ranging from approvals process, environmental impact assessments, heritage, contamination and strategic planning issues.

In addition, Alison has broad experience in litigation, judicial review proceedings and public inquiries in both Australia and the UK.

Experience

  • Advising developers in relation to planning issues and approvals associated with a range of residential and non-residential developments, including residential flat buildings, affordable housing, childcare centres, hotels, clubs, seniors living, shops, mixed-use developments and dwelling houses. This includes comprehensive planning and environmental advice in relation to proposed applications for development consent and implementation.
  • Advising clients in relation to a range of major infrastructure projects, including advice on the process and applications for development consent and compliance. The types of projects include bridge crossings, highways schemes, tidal lagoons, tidal flood barriers, expansion of ports and marine parks and renewable energy projects.
  • Advising in respect of environmental issues, including environmental compliance, environmental impact assessments, regulatory investigations and enforcement, land contamination, waste and water pollution, noise issues (particularly in relation to statutory noise nuisance), heritage, minerals, environmental risk management, enforcement and prosecutions.
  • Advising in relation to heritage issues, including listed buildings, conservation areas and heritage assets, including obtaining consent, enforcement proceedings and prosecution.
  • Drafting, negotiating and completing voluntary planning agreements and advising in relation to a range of planning obligations, including affordable housing, viability reviews, car-free developments, contributions and travel plans.
  • Drafting and negotiating complex and bespoke legal agreements, including agreements for settlement of public inquiries, deeds for land and marine based ground investigations, construction works and contamination and remediation works.
  • Drafting bespoke planning environmental liability clauses for contracts for sales, leases and other transactional documents.
  • Planning and environment due diligence for proposed acquisitions of large and complex projects.
  • Planning and environmental appeals, judicial review and public inquiries, including advising clients in contentious matters, instructing counsel and expert witnesses, drafting court documents, proofs of evidence and witness statements and general carriage of such proceedings.
  • Compulsory acquisition of land matters, including advising and managing responses in relation to contentious and non-contentious CPO applications.

Awards and recognition

Best Lawyers in Australia 2023 & 2024
Recognised – Planning & Environment Law ('Ones to Watch')

Latest thinking

Environment | 23 Aug 2021

Federal Court expands scope of activities associated with coal mining projects caught by water trigger under the EPBC Act

A recent decision by the Federal Court has broadened the types of resource projects that may be caught by the water trigger provisions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.