Development Lawyers
With extensive experience in assisting both public and private clients in large-scale developments, we offer expert guidance on project planning, disposing of government-owned land, procurement, project management agreements, contracts and contract negotiations. Our team is committed to delivering expert legal advice and providing strategic and practical solutions to assist clients to navigate complex development projects and achieve project objectives.
Our expertise
- Advising on project delivery and contract models.
- Assisting clients with project management agreements which govern the relationship between the parties, taking into account risk allocation.
- Providing local governments with advice on the disposal of council-owned land in accordance with local government legislation, including the exceptions to tender or auction for the disposal of land in the Local Government Regulation 2012 (Qld).
- Preparing suites of expression of interest and tender documentation and contract suites for the development of land.
- Facilitating outcome-based procurements and Early Tenderer Involvement processes for the development of land.
- Developing process documents for governments for the disposal of government-owned land, including government-led and market-led policies, procedures and guidelines for disposal, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation.
- Developing project specific contracts for major civil and construction works for the development of land.
- Advising on project structuring, including asset protection, strategic company structuring and project financing documentation.
Project Highlights
Market-led and Local Government-led Proposals Framework
Paul Muscat, Craig Tanzer and team assisted a local government in the development of a framework for market-led and local government-led proposals for projects involving the disposing of local government-owned land for a specific purpose in accordance with the relevant local government legislation, as well as for projects that do not involve the disposal of land. Calling upon our experience developing similar policies and procedures for local governments under a strategic contracting framework, we were able to develop a policy and procedure which achieved what the local government was looking to achieve by allowing both internal and external proponents to put forward proposals to be managed in accordance with the prepared framework.
Local Government Priority Development Areas
Paul Muscat, Craig Tanzer and team have acted and continue to act for multiple local governments for a variety of projects in priority development areas, including preparing bespoke project management agreements catering for infrastructure and development agreements, preparing contracts, procuring contractors and establishing government-owned corporations to manage the development of such areas.
Skyridge Development
Paul Muscat and Craig Tanzer acted for a private developer in the development of a prominent new suburb on the Gold Coast. The development, which comprises 3,000+ lots, required Craig and Paul to establish framework agreements for major civil construction to clear the site (formerly a farm) and establish the lots, framework agreements for major landscaping works, artwork procurement agreements for public artworks to be situated throughout the development, display village construction contracts for the construction of the modern display village, sales centre construction contracts, major park and playground equipment procurement agreements for the central feature park, among other agreements. We have also advised the developer on disputes with neighbouring owners.
Hervey Bay “Big Box” Development
Craig Tanzer and team acted for the developer of a $50m “Big Box” development in Hervey Bay. This project involved the development of a design and construct contract for the development, extensive and complex negotiation of that contract with the preferred tenderer and the management of legal issues as they arose throughout the course of the significant project, including delays and contract administration management.
Supermarket Development
We advised a developer in relation to the construction of a supermarket in inner Brisbane, including in relation to negotiations for the $4M+ cost- plus construction contract for the remainder of the project after the initial contract with another contractor was terminated.
