Frequently Asked Questions

The NSW Land and Environment Court hears appeals and cases relating to environment and planning laws. The Court’s specialist jurisdiction covers merits and judicial reviews, civil enforcement, criminal prosecution, criminal appeals and civil claims involving planning, environmental, land, mining and other legislation.

The Land and Environment Court deals with civil enforcement and is concerned with restoring compliance with the law, rather than punishing those who break the law.

Orders the Court can make include Declarations (in the case of an Act being breached), Injunctions (restraining orders), Demolition orders and Remediation orders.

A filing fee needs to be paid to the Court before a case is started or an appeal is lodged. This cost depends on the type of case and whether you are an individual or corporation. Hones Lawyers will confirm the amount of the fee before proceedings are started.

If your issue relates to an easement on your property, have a look at our Easements NSW page. Easements often fall under S.88K of the Conveyancing Act and s.40 of the Land & Environment Court Act.

Our Environmental and Planning Lawyers advise clients on areas such as town planning, development assessment, environment, land access, heritage and compulsory land acquisition and compensation. Matters can be dealt with in court or through other dispute resolution processes.

Subdividing land requires following a strict process for approval and development. The process includes a feasibility assessment, surveys, Development Application with local Council, a Plan of Subdivision, the creation of easements (requiring an easement lawyer) and restrictions and the lodgement of the Deposited Plan for creation of Title documents.

You cannot appeal a heritage listing just because you disagree with the decision to list, however, the validity of the decision can be challenged in the Land and Environment Court if you believe the correct legal process was not followed when making the listing.

Whether you want to sell or not, government and quasi-government bodies in NSW are able to compulsorily acquire private land, or part of a property, for a public purpose. This includes state-owned corporations such as water suppliers, the state roads authority and transport network provider.

The Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act provides a minimum period of 6 months for the acquiring authority and landowner to reach an agreement before a Proposed Acquisition Notice is served. Hones Lawyers can provide advice on compensation and claiming expenses related to valuation and legal fees during this process.

Yes – in most cases, the government will pay your legal fees associated with the acquisition process, including any costs of proceedings in the Land & Environment Court. Whatever stage you are at in the compulsory land acquisition process, contact the experienced lawyers at Hones for specialist advice.

Property owners should be compensated fairly, on the principle of ‘just terms’. There are a number of factors taken into account for compensation such as the market value of the land, any special value of the land, whether a business may be impacted, relocation costs and other points specific on a case by case basis.

It is advisable that property owners engage their own valuer, legal representation and other applicable experts, with the costs associated with these services being included in any compensation claim.

Our specialist lawyers have been successful in negotiating a number of compulsory acquisition matters before they went to litigation. For matters that proceed to the Land & Environment Court, we pride ourselves on achieving the best outcomes for our clients with an over 90% success rate.

Compulsory land acquisition in NSW is an area of expertise for Jason Hones and Gavin Shapiro, both partners at Hones Lawyers. Jason has been in the legal industry since 1993 and Gavin has over 10 years of experience in Environment & Planning Law and Local Government Law. They are both ably assisted by Lesley Finn, an accredited specialist in Local Government and Town Planning Law with over 30 years of experience in planning and compulsory acquisition matters. Contact us today to speak with one of our lawyers.

A Development Control Plan (DCP) is a suite of controls that guide, and form a focal point, for the assessment of development applications.  A DCP contains controls for such things as tree removal, parking, view loss/retention, height, built upon area, landscaping be it concerning residential, commercial or industrial developments (to name just a few).

If you are building or renovating, you will need to find out whether you need approval from your local council for the proposed work. The exact requirements of whether a development application is necessary are determined by individual councils. Things taken into account include the Local Environment Plan, Development Control Plans and zoning regulations.  Furthermore there are a number of types of development (usually small scale things, such as cubby houses and minor works) that do not require development approval (known as “exempt” development).

An Occupation Certificate confirms that the principal certifying authority (either Council or a private certifier) is satisfied that works relating to a development consent have been completed in accordance with the development consent, in particular in accordance with the approved plans and that all relevant conditions have been addressed. Obtaining an Occupation Certificate is necessary step before occupying premises.

A Subdivision Certificate confirms that the local council is satisfied that works relating to a subdivision have been completed in accordance with the relevant development consent. Obtaining a Subdivision Certificate is necessary step before lodging a plan of subdivision with NSW Land Registry Services.

An easement is the right over someone else’s land and can include a private or public right of way, such as a footpath or access road, or a right to access utilities such as water supply or gas/electricity supply.

You can contact the NSW Land Registry Services to check if there are any easements on your property and what the details are. Otherwise, the team at Hones can make enquiries for you.

If the grantor of the easement agrees, an easement can be removed from the title. Hones Lawyers can assist in documenting any agreement to remove an easement and file it with the Office of Land Titles. An easement can also be removed from the title by the Court if you can prove it is not needed anymore.

Depending on the type and amount of waste, you can report the offence to your local council, the police or the NSW Environment Protection Agency. You may also want to first investigate the nature of the waste and any contamination can also take action directly against the dumper if you know their identity. If the issue continues, get in touch with the team at Hones Lawyers and we will advise you on the best course of action.

Schedule 1 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act lists the activities which require a licence to be carried out in NSW. If you need further help, the team at Hones can provide specialist advice and guidance when communicating with the EPA, in preparing licence applications, and advising on licensing requirements.

Waste contracts can be complex and our lawyers are experienced in reviewing and negotiating contracts, waste tenders, as well as assisting with contract disputes.