EPBC Act, state planning, and climate cases — current at merits level.
Quillio knows the EPBC Act, state planning legislation, merits review in Land and Environment Courts, and the current climate and contamination authority environmental lawyers argue.
Quillio is an AI legal assistant for Australian environmental and planning lawyers. I am trained on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), the state planning Acts (EP&A Act NSW, P&E Act VIC, Planning Act QLD), and current Land and Environment Court, VCAT, and Federal Court environmental authority. Use me for planning applications and appeals, EPBC referrals, contamination advice, and climate-related matters.
Why environmental and planning lawyers use Quillio
Environmental and planning work combines state planning frameworks with Commonwealth environmental law and, increasingly, climate-related litigation. I am current on the EPBC framework, state planning instruments, contamination regimes, and recent climate cases including Sharma and Pabai. I read environmental impact statements, apply merits framework considerations, and draft submissions in the voice of careful environmental practice.
Statutes and authorities
Key statutes
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
- Planning and Environment Act 1987 (VIC)
- Planning Act 2016 (QLD)
- Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)
- Environment Protection Act 2017 (VIC)
- Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 (NSW)
Leading cases
- Minister for the Environment v Sharma (2022) 291 FCR 311 (duty of care and climate)
- Gloucester Resources Ltd v Minister for Planning (2019) 234 LGERA 257 (Rocky Hill climate refusal)
- Pabai Pabai v Commonwealth of Australia [2023] FCA (climate duty, Torres Strait)
- Telstra Corporation Ltd v Hornsby Shire Council (2006) 67 NSWLR 256 (precautionary principle)
- Tasmanian Conservation Trust Inc v Minister for Resources (1995) 55 FCR 516 (statutory construction EPBC)
Environmental and Planning Law workflows
Planning applications and merits appeals
Development application drafting, Land and Environment Court / VCAT / P&E Court merits appeals.
Drafts planning submissions with structured merits analysis, applies current planning instrument considerations, and cites relevant tribunal authority.
EPBC referrals and assessments
EPBC Act referrals for matters of national environmental significance and assessment submissions.
Assesses whether the action triggers EPBC controlling provisions and drafts referral and assessment submissions.
Contamination and environmental liability
Contaminated land advice, clean-up notices, and Part 3A EPA NSW / Environment Protection Act VIC duties.
Applies current contamination framework to the facts and drafts the liability memo. Reviews environmental audits and consultant reports.
Climate and ESG advice
Climate-related directors duties advice, TCFD disclosure, and emerging climate litigation risk.
Applies recent climate duty authority (Sharma, Pabai) to the corporate context and drafts the directors memo with current disclosure framework references.
Environmental prosecutions and civil enforcement
Defending environmental prosecutions and civil enforcement proceedings by EPA or councils.
Researches current environmental sentencing and civil penalty authority. Drafts defences and sentencing submissions.
Document types Quillio handles
- Planning submissions
- Merits appeal notices and submissions
- EPBC Act referrals
- Environmental impact statement reviews
- Contamination advice memos
- Clean-up notice responses
- Climate duty memos
- Environmental defence pleadings
- TCFD disclosure drafts
Environmental law is both state (planning, pollution, contamination) and Commonwealth (EPBC, climate). I cover state planning Acts and tribunals across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, and NT, plus the EPBC regime nationally and current Federal Court climate authority.
Questions environmental and planning lawyers actually ask Quillio
Environmental and Planning Law FAQs
Does Quillio cover both Commonwealth EPBC and state planning?
Yes. EPBC Act at national level, plus state planning Acts in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, and NT. I know the interaction between them including bilateral assessment agreements.
Is Quillio current on climate litigation authority?
Yes. I am current on Sharma (and the Full Federal Court reversal), Pabai, Gloucester Resources (Rocky Hill), and the emerging line of climate duty and disclosure cases. I flag the evolving nature of this area.
Can Quillio draft merits appeal submissions?
Yes. Class 1 LEC (NSW), VCAT planning, QLD P&E Court, and equivalent merits appeals. I apply the relevant planning instrument considerations and cite tribunal authority.
Does Quillio support contamination advice?
Yes. Part 3A EPA NSW, Environment Protection Act VIC duties, contaminated land regimes across states. I review environmental audits and draft liability memos.
Can Quillio help with TCFD and climate disclosure?
Yes. I draft climate-related disclosure aligned to TCFD and the emerging AASB S2 / mandatory disclosure framework. I apply current directors duties authority (post-Cassimatis and post-Sharma).
Is Quillio safe for confidential environmental material?
Yes. SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Australian-hosted. EIS drafts, consultant reports, and community engagement material stay on Australian soil.
Try Quillio on a current matter.
For environmental and planning lawyers, the fastest way to know if Quillio fits is to run it across a current EPBC referral or merits appeal. Start the free trial at /free-trial — no credit card, no sales call.
Start your free trial