2026 QLD Legal Lunchtime: What can affect project feasibility – natural hazards (flooding, bushfire, landslide)
The Legal Lunchtime Series will bring together speakers with recognised expertise in various aspects of the Queensland Planning System and provide a platform to educate, inform and provide solutions through short seminars focusing on topics identified by our members. These sessions will provide the necessary information and practical help for those currently working in the planning profession and looking to improve their understanding of legal issues that impact on town planning in Queensland.
Event Outline
Natural hazards can have a wide ranging and significant impact on the potential for development, whether this is flooding, bushfire, landslide. Impacts from climate change further impact these hazards. This seminar will seek to inform and educate the audience about the impacts from natural hazards and how the development industry can seek to manage and respond to the resulting legislative framework.
Speakers
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Laura Gannon MPIA - Director, Meridian Urban
Laura is a Director at Meridian Urban, and is a bushfire resilience and planning specialist with national experience.
With almost 20 years of industry expertise, Laura focuses on the integration of natural hazard risk management into planning policy and strategy. Laura’s approach seeks to ‘think differently’ in reconciling the complex challenges associated with integrating land use planning, governance, emergency management and disaster risk mitigation processes. Laura’s extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of bushfire behaviour and risk assessment compliments her land use planning capabilities developed over many years of practice across Australia.
Laura is a Level 3 Bushfire Planning and Design accredited practitioner with the Fire Protection Association of Australia. She is a member of the International Association of Wildland Fire and the US Natural Hazards Management Association, and was awarded PIA Queensland’s Outstanding Woman in Planning Award in 2022, as well as Australian Young Planner of the Year in 2011. Laura’s team at Meridian Urban also received the inaugural 2021 PIA Queensland Climate Change and Resilience Award for Planning Excellence for the Toowoomba Region Bushfire Risk Analysis.
In 2023, Meridian Urban received an Award for Planning Excellence for the Natural Hazard Risk Assessments and Place-Based Land Use Policy Development Program alongside Ipswich City Council.
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Rebecca Hoare - Partner, Environment & Planning Team Leader, Norton Rose Fulbright
Rebecca is an Environment and Planning Partner with Norton Road Fulbright based in Brisbane and is the team leader for the Australian Environment and Planning practice. Rebecca has 25 years’ legal experience and practices in environmental and planning law, climate change and sustainability.
Rebecca has been recognised by Doyle's Guide as a Preeminent Lawyer in Environment & Heritage Law. She has also been recognised by peers in the Best Lawyers list for mining law, planning and environment law, climate change law and land use and zoning law, and is ranked in Chambers Asia Pacific Guide as a leading lawyer for environment (which includes climate change).
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Coming in July
Post decision - How Does Alternate Dispute Resolution Work?
About the series
The Legal Lunchtime Series will bring together speakers with recognised expertise in various aspects of the Queensland Planning System and provide a platform to educate, inform and provide solutions through short seminars focusing on topics identified by our members.
These sessions will provide the necessary information and practical help for those currently working in the planning profession and looking to improve their understanding of legal issues that impact on town planning in Queensland.
Series Chairperson
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Amy Adamson MPIA - Principal, Meridian Urban
Amy is a statutory planning specialist with over 20 years of experience in various forms of land use planning. She maintains an extensive understanding of the Queensland planning framework and specialises in the interpretation of complex legislative frameworks into practical planning outcomes.
Amy has prepared and managed development applications throughout Queensland. She has advised clients and Government on a number of land use enforcement and compliance matters and has been nominated as a town planning expert in proceedings in the Planning and Environment Court and Land Court.
Amy also provides assistance to Local Governments across Queensland with planning scheme drafting and development assessment, with a particular focus on bushfire. She has also provided development assessment support to State agencies in both planning and bushfire matters.
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Note
For large group viewing of the seminar (more than 5 ppl viewing on one screen), please contact [email protected]
Terms & Conditions
Registrations cancelled more than 14 days prior to the event date will not incur any fees and a full refund will be granted.
If you cannot attend and you are within 14 days of the event date, you can transfer your ticket to another person.
In all other situations we cannot issue a refund or credit.
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