Alex Skilling
Partner, Brisbane
I am a planning and environment specialist with extensive experience advising government and private clients on the delivery of major projects and achieving regulatory compliance and social licence to operate. My practice spans the infrastructure, resources, renewable energy and property sectors.

I work closely with clients to deliver on their commercial drivers throughout the project lifecycle, from pre-feasibility through to decommissioning. I provide pragmatic and technically excellent advice, which ensures that complex approval and compliance issues are communicated simply.

My practice includes advisory, transactional and litigious matters across State and Commonwealth legislative regimes for the environment, planning, climate change, carbon, water, waste, resources and land tenure, cultural heritage and native title. I regularly advise industry on legislative and policy development.

Career highlights

  • Stanwell: Advising on a portfolio of renewable energy projects, including the 500MW Wambo Wind Farm, 500MW Tarong West wind farm and CQH2 green hydrogen production, pipeline and liquefication facilities. This includes due diligence on the assets, advising on State and Federal environmental approvals and drafting and negotiating transaction documents, EPC and WOM contracts, shared asset arrangements and offset agreements.
  • CopperString: Advised the State and Powerlink on the acquisition and development of the CopperString project, a $5B transmission line connecting the North West minerals province to the State's electricity grid. Provided specialist advice on infrastructure designations, biodiversity offset procurement and EPBC Act and coordinated project approvals process.
  • Brisbane Metro: Acted for the Department of Transport and Main Roads in negotiating agreements to enable the Brisbane Metro Project, including advising on the strategy for and conditions of approvals under the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 (Qld) for works on State-controlled roads and busways (the critical approval for the project).
  • Housing Investment Fund: Advised the State on the assessment of a $250M funding proposal for the delivery of 650 social housing dwellings. Drafted and negotiated key commercial terms for the project and advised on the regulation of community housing providers and rental affordability schemes.
  • North Harbour: Acting for Moreton Bay Regional Council in its role in the development of the North Harbour marina and waterfront residential development. Advised on the declaration of a priority development area and related development scheme, funding arrangements for canal maintenance, all environment, planning, native title and cultural heritage processes and stakeholder liaison.
  • Various mining proponents: Advising clients such as Peabody, South32 and Jellinbah Resources on the transition to statutory progressive rehabilitation and closure plans and negotiations with the regulator to maintain previously approved land outcomes.
  • Business case delivery: Led the delivery of a number of business cases and project validation reports for major government projects in Queensland, including Sunwater's Burdekin Falls Dam raising and improvement projects, redevelopment of the Old Museum at the RNA Showgrounds, and expansions of the Bruce Highway.
  • Biodiversity offsets: Extensive experience developing suites of agreements for the delivery of biodiversity offsets and the preparation and administration of offset management plans.
  • Environmental incident response: Acting for resources and industrial clients in successfully defending environmental prosecutions and enforcement notices, and developing environmental incident response frameworks.

Awards

Recognised in Best Lawyers Ones to Watch for Environment and Planning (2023).