Louise is a specialist in planning and environment law, with a strong focus on climate change and sustainability legislation. She has extensive experience in unlocking and delivering major projects – from land releases and urban renewal to major linear infrastructure. Her experience spans planning pathways, approvals, land access, compulsory acquisitions, land use and zoning laws, infrastructure agreements and delivery of major complex critical infrastructure projects.
In addition to her role as head of Corrs’ environment and planning practice, Louise also leads the climate change and sustainability team within the firm’s responsible business and ESG practice. She provides strategic and legal advice to government and private sector clients on significant projects across NSW, including major mixed-use, residential, aged-care, retail, industrial and commercial developments. She is particularly known for her work on landlease communities and other affordable housing models, including build-to-rent. Louise has also advised on some of Australia’s most significant climate-related matters (from environmental assessment to litigation defence) and regularly advises on greenwashing, pollution and contamination incidents.
Louise has acted on some of the largest and most complex planning agreements in NSW and has advised on numerous extractive industry projects, including mining, coal seam gas extraction and quarrying, as well as data centres, industrial land releases, and renewable and alternative energy projects such as battery energy storage, energy from waste, and wind and solar farms. She is highly regarded her expertise in projects related to energy and the energy transition, which includes the offshore regulatory environment and securing environmental approvals from NOPSEMA and the Minister for the Environment. Louise has extensive experience in Classes 1-5 of the Land and Environment Court’s jurisdiction and has represented clients in Federal Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal proceedings, all with an unparalleled success rate.
Louise has served on the Property Council of Australia’s Planning Committee since 2010 and is also a state-appointed member of the Western Sydney City Planning Panel as well as an alternative state member of the Sydney Planning Panels and Joint Regional Planning Panels. In 2023, Louise was recognised as Partner of the Year in the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards and in 2025 was appointed to the Committee for Sydney’s Housing Reform Taskforce.
Key deals
Santos Ltd – Narrabri Coal Seam Gas Project
Acting for Santos on the A$3.5 billion Narrabri Coal Seam Gas Project, including advising on various environmental and planning approvals for the project which will progressively install up to 850 new gas wells and 425 new well pads over approximately 20 years with the potential to deliver up to half of the state’s natural gas needs.
Green Square
Acting for Leighton Properties and UrbanGrowth (formerly Landcom) in relation to an A$8 billion mixed-use development at the Green Square Town Centre, making it Australia’s largest urban renewal project. This included drafting and negotiating the related planning agreement and advising on risks and issues associated with the adoption of green infrastructure.
Huntlee
Advising on New South Wales’s biggest housing project. This involved negotiating several planning agreements and advising and appearing in two sets of Land and Environment Court proceedings and Court of Appeal proceedings for the A$1.5 billion rezoning and development of land for a whole new town in the Hunter Valley.
Western Parkland City Authority
Advising in relation to amendments to planning controls to facilitate the expeditious delivery of high-quality development and infrastructure for the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Bradfield City Centre, including the 11,200 hectare area surrounding the Western Sydney International Airport.
Major Release Areas/Planned Precincts
Providing strategic planning advice to government and the private sector in relation to infrastructure arrangements for both rural and in-fill areas, including the Kings Hill URA, the Menangle Park URA, the North Ryde URA, Rhodes, the Carter St Priority Precinct, the Hunter Valley (Bellbird, Huntlee) and Green Square.
Contamination, pollution, hazardous chemicals and waste management
Advising clients (including NSW Police, Adelaide Brighton, Challenger, Woolworths, BP, Qenos, UrbanGrowth and Stockland) on contamination and pollution compliance matters, regulation of hazardous chemicals and waste management.