Belinda is an active and committed legal practitioner, focused on planning, environmental, cultural and regulatory law. Having performed in the relevant jurisdiction for decades – not only as a highly experienced legal adviser, she is also a passionate advocate for law reform and education.
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Belinda generously shares her time between her role as Principal of the firm and working on a number of Committees representing the sector and in mentoring and coaching law students and graduates embarking on Planning and Environmental Law.
Belinda provides Policy advice and investigations work as requested and has a long standing commitment to working with and for the betterment of minority and disadvantaged communities both here in Australia as well as in South Pacific Nations.
Pivotal roles before launching a private practice.
Belinda commenced private practice in 2015. Prior to this, Belinda performed as an in-house lawyer and local government executive member for 22 years. During this time she held a number key positions in local government including:
- Long term Acting General Manager at Singleton Council
- Director of Corporate & Development Services at Singleton Council
- Internal Ombudsman for Wyong Shire Council
- Ombudsman for the Gosford/Wyong Water Authority
- Senior Lawyer at Wyong Shire Council
- Senior Lawyer and Major Financial Projects Coordinator at Port Stephens Council
- Principal Solicitor at Newcastle City Council.
Throughout her career, Belinda has accumulated a diverse array of experience and expertise in areas such as the management of waste services, corporate and strategic projects, building and development reform, risk and insurance, change management, investigations practice, ombudsman and fiscal processes.
Key infrastructure and operational projects.
Belinda has worked in both Prosecution and Appeal matters for local government, private development and community groups – advising on key infrastructure and operational projects covering a vast array of topics such as:
- New residential and industrial land release
- Waste minimisation technologies
- Water supply and microbial contaminants
- Risk management strategy and claims
- Tourism and economic development proposals
- Significant joint ventures with airport
- Childcare facilities and operations
- Food and Public Health
- Contract and tendering proposals including subsequent arbitration
- Traffic and Roads
- Commercial ventures
- Licensing of regulated activities
- Wetland management
- Biodiversity offsetting
- Critical habitat and tree preservation
- Prohibited land uses
- Bushfire
- Intensive agriculture
- Native title, European heritage and Aboriginal cultural heritage
- Voluntary planning agreements.
Joint investigations with Government agencies.
Having completed a scholarship program with the Independent Commission Against Corruption at the Australian National University in Canberra, Belinda has successfully undertaken a number of referral and/or joint investigation matters with other agencies including the NSW Police, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Division of Local Government, the NSW Ombudsman, the Water & Energy Ombudsman NSW, the Department of Fair Trading and the Office of Environment & Heritage.
Committee Membership.
In 2015 Belinda was elected as a Committee Member of both the Law Society of NSW Planning and Development Committee and the Environmental and Planning Law Association of NSW and has maintained those positions to date.
Philanthropy.
Belinda has a strong desire to promote the welfare of others and as such has undertaken various volunteer roles including her aid advisory work in the South Pacific Island nations of Kiribati – assisting its government with advice on social, cultural and environmental issues, communication strategy, records management, public health, feral animal control, waste minimisation and social amenity. In her spare time Belinda is an active member of Rotary and frequently volunteers her time for local charity initiatives and events.
