Meg Lee

Practice Areas

Meg is a Partner in our Property and Projects team, specialising in planning and environment law. Meg is co-lead of our Environment Social & Governance industry group and is the office partner in charge for the Melbourne office.

She has over 25 years’ experience advising clients in the government, retail, residential, health, industrial, water and energy sectors. She advises on environmental and planning approvals, liabilities, and statutory regulation for major infrastructure, property developments and commercial transactions.

A significant component of her practice involves working with clients to obtain planning and environmental project approvals and rezoning of land, including running appeals and hearings before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Planning Panels and Ministerial Advisory Committees. Meg works closely with consultant teams on environmental impact assessment processes for large infrastructure projects and renewable energy projects, including under the new Commonwealth regime for Offshore Wind Farm licences.

Meg is well regarded by her clients, consultants and other professionals as an organised problem-solver, able to explain complex legal issues in plain English. Meg brings a pragmatic perspective to legal problems, connecting and bringing together multi-disciplinary teams needed to manage environmental impacts and development projects.

Work Highlights

Advised the sellers of Victorian integrated construction materials business Dandy Premix on the $85 million sale of the business to Maas Group Holdings Limited.

Advising the Minister for Planning in relation to applications for approval of waste, solar and urban renewal precincts where the Minister is Responsible Authority and acting in related VCAT proceedings

Advising the Department of Environment Land Water & Planning (DELWP) in relation to its Referral Authority role for native vegetation removal, including in the Melbourne Strategic Assessment Conservation Areas in Melbourne’s growth areas as well as in relation to s69 Conservation Forests and Lands Act agreements and related VCAT proceedings

Advising the Department of Treasury and Finance and statutory authorities in relation the development and sale of former government land, including State School sites, including advising on historical contaminated land liability and remediation contracts

Advising the Department of Transport in relation to infrastructure agreements with residential developers

Advising landowners on acquisition and compensation claims in relation to the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel, the Westgate Tunnel project and various VicRoads road widening projects.

Advising wind and solar energy companies on obtaining planning and environmental approvals, including in relation to acoustic compliance issues arising in relation to operating wind projects.

Advising retail sector clients on planning and development issues in relation to the development of shopping centres and mixed use developments.

Advising developers of residential apartments, ‘build to rent’ and co-living proposals, in relation to proceedings at VCAT to obtain approval

Advising growth area residential developers in relation to approvals for residential subdivision and Town Centre developments through the Precinct Structure Planning process and Planning Panel hearings.

Advising office sector developers and superfunds on planning approvals, objections to neighbouring developments, heritage issues, s173 Agreement compliance and amendments to plans.

Advising waste sector clients on EPA licences and compliance issues, contaminated land clean up and liability, VCAT appeals and prosecution proceedings under the new Environment Protection Act 2017.

Advising gas sector and extractive industry clients EES processes and Commonwealth EPBC approvals, including on related climate change and energy transition issues.

Awards