Essential Services & Utilities
Essential services providers and their contractors often face a complex range of environment, planning and sustainability challenges, ranging from site contamination risk, managing networked operations, and meeting an ever-increasing raft of environmental compliance requirements.
Guthrie Legal has significant experience advising electricity, water, gas, telecommunications and public transport sector clients, including rail, bus, airport and tram.
Gabrielle is also passionate about public transport development and has advised on numerous transport matters including major infrastructure projects, for both proponents and objectors.
She has a strong industry knowledge of bus and tram sectors having advised both consortia operators and shareholders in relation to environment and planning aspects of transport network operation.
Gabrielle also loves rail sector work, since beginning her career assisting in the advisory team for the proposed development of the development of the Port of Felixstowe and related branch line (UK). More recently Gabrielle has advised on rail projects around Australia.
I love supporting utilities and public transport clients achieve their goals, whether that is transforming compliance and governance systems, a major new infrastructure project or defending litigation. I appreciate the complexity and the pressures of delivering essential services in the public eye. If you are looking for support for your organisation, I would love to speak with you.
G A B R I E L L E G U T H R I E
Legal Services
Gabrielle brings her insight and experience of working with clients on environmental advisory and regulatory enforcement matters to her work with utilities and public transport sector clients. She has experience advising on environmental issues in all Australian States and Territories and an exceptional network of environmental consultants with whom she regularly works to ensure clients get the advice they need.
Recent Experience for Utilities
Advised a Victorian electricity distributor on contamination and pollution management issues (including PCBs), national pollution inventory compliance, and environmental management of sub-station sites.
Advised a gas utility on native vegetation protection requirements, operational clearance and biodiversity protection issues across its linear infrastructure network in NSW.
Advising a networked utility asset owner on environmental terms within operational service and management agreements with its principal contractors, including appropriate contractor management of environmental risks.
Advised on planning and development approvals for gas pipeline and other utilities infrastructure; rail and road projects. Such projects typically require numerous development approvals, including planning permits and other State and Federal approvals (e.g. EPBC Act).
Advised a national telecoms utility on decommissioning of underground storage tanks and contamination management in QLD.
Advising a Victorian water corporation on a range of requirements under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, Water Act 1989 and Subdivision Act 1988.
Advising and training a major principal contractor providing power transmission, distribution and substation services across Australia on its pollution incident response requirements in NSW, VIC, TAS and QLD.
Advised a municipal council in relation to Water Act interpretation, rights and liabilities.
Advised a gas utility in relation to planning requirements associated with new distribution pipeline infrastructure.
Recent Experience for public transport clients
Advised in relation to the Inland Rail Project in QLD.
Advised on the development of Melbourne Airport Rail (MAR).
Solicitor on record in Supreme Court and VCAT litigation in relation to the East West Link Project (including Moonee Valley City Council v Minister for Planning and Linking Melbourne Authority)
Advised on PFAS contamination impacting airport estate land in multiple states, including under the Commonwealth Airports Act and state environmental laws.
Advised consorts operators and investors on environmental and planning risks associated with tram infrastructure and operation, including in relation to approvals due diligence for proposed tram upgrades and major tram infrastructure.
