Brent Lillywhite, Partner, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Brent is a Partner in the Environment & Planning Team at Corrs Chambers Westgarth.  He provides strategic legal advice to developers, local governments and State government authorities on all aspects of planning and environment law. A keen litigator, Brent’s passion lies in Planning and Environment Court appeals and declaratory proceedings.

Brent was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2014.

• President    2018 - Present
• Vice President     2016 - 2018
• Chair, Conference Sub-Committee     2013 - 2018
• Chair, Seminar Sub-Committee     2014 - 2015
• Member Conference Sub-Committee     2010 - 2018
• Member Regional Intensive Sub-Committee     2016 - 2018
• Member Seminar Sub-Committee     2013 - 2015

Sarah Hausler,  Senior Associate, McCullough Robertson
Sarah is a Senior Associate in the Planning and Environment Group at McCullough Robertson. Sarah acts for developers, local governments, state government agencies and government owned  corporations in relation to planning and environment litigation, strategic advice about project approvals, planning and environment due diligence, infrastructure agreements and contaminated land.

Sarah has degrees in law, environmental science and urban and regional planning.

Sarah was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2012.

• Vice President   2018 - Present
• Co-Chair, Seminar Sub-Committee   2018 - Present
• Member, Finance Sub-Committee    2018 - Present
• Association Secretary     2014 - 2018
• Co-Chair, Legislative Sub-Committee     2014 - Present
• Member Seminar Sub-Committee     2006 - Present

Tim Stork,   Legal Counsel – Planning, Environment and Property, Energy Queensland

Tim Stork is a planning, environment and property lawyer with over 15 years’ experience.  Tim is Energy Queensland’s specialist advisor on planning, environment and property matters.  Before moving to Energy Queensland, Tim spent 10 years in leading planning and environment practices in national and international firms. Tim has provided advice to and litigated for local and state governments, government entities and major institutional developers about all traditional planning, environment and property matters as well as electricity-industry specific legal issues, compulsory acquisition and resources law.

Tim was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2014.

• Vice President    2018 - Present
• Co-Chair, Legislative Sub-Committee     2014 - Present
• Member, Finance Sub-Committee    2018 - Present
• Member Conference Sub-Committee     2012 - Present
• Member Regional Intensive Sub-Committee     2016 - Present

Hannah Riggs,  Senior Associate, MinterEllison
Hannah is a Senior Associate in the Planning and Environment team at Minter Ellison, specialising in planning and environment litigation, compulsory acquisition of land and legal compliance.

Hannah was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2015.

• Treasurer     2016 - Present
• Chair, Finance Sub-Committee     2016 - Present
• Chair, Seminar Sub-Committee     2016 - 2017
• Member Conference Sub-Committee     2012, 2016 - Present
• Member Seminar Sub-Committee     2013 -  Present
• Member Legislative Sub-Committee     2014

Kerrie Brown, Senior Corporate Lawyer, Powerlink Queensland

Kerrie provides generalist legal services in-house across all areas of law relevant to government-owned corporations and electricity entities with a special interest in planning and environment law. Having worked in the private legal sector, local government and the electricity industry, Kerrie has had extensive experience advising on a range of matters, including planning and environment appeals, development approval processes, major infrastructure projects, compulsory acquisitions and environmental compliance.

Kerrie has been elected to the Management Committee previously, and again in 2018.

• Association Secretary   2018 - Present
• Co-Chair, Conference Sub-Committee    2018 - Present
• Member, Conference Sub-Committee   2016 - Present
• Member, Legislative Review Sub-Committee    2016 - Present
• Member, Membership Sub-Committee  2017 - Present

Leisa Sinclair, Technical Director - Planning, Cardno

Leisa has been involved in the planning and development industry for in excess of 25 years. She has accumulated significant experience in preparing development approval strategies, project management and coordination, and Planning and Environment Court matters for major projects across retail, commercial and extractive industry sectors.

Leisa holds the qualifications of Bachelor of Applied Science (Surveying) and Graduate Diploma of Urban and Regional Planning. 

Leisa was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2010.

• Immediate Past President   2018 - Present
• President     2016 - 2018
• Vice President     2014 - 2016
• Co-Chair, Membership Sub-Committee   2018 - Present
• Chair, Seminar Sub-Committee     2015 - 2016
• Member, Seminar Sub-Committee     2007 - Present
• Member, Conference Sub-Committee     2010 - Present
• Member, Regional Intensive Sub-Committee     2016 - Present

Kelly Alcorn, Partner, Carter Newell Lawyers

Kelly is a Partner with Carter Newell Lawyers, heading up the Planning and Environment team.   
She is a planning and environment law specialist, with 20 years of experience assisting the property, infrastructure, energy and resource sectors to navigate the complex and ever-changing regulatory framework.  Kelly holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Environmental Science and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning.  She has been admitted to practice as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia.   In addition to her career in private legal practice, Kelly has held a number of in-house project management and delivery roles in the property and resource sectors and has practised as a town planner.  

Kelly was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2018.

• Co-Chair, Legislative Review Sub-Committee   2018 - Present

Mitchel Batty, Barrister-at-Law

Mitchel was called to the bar in 2012, after having worked as a solicitor at a national law firm.  Since being called to the bar, he has practised almost exclusively in the Planning and Environment Court and Land Court jurisdictions.

Mitchel was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2018.

• Co-Chair, Membership Sub-Committee  2018 - Present

Ben Job QC, Barrister-at-Law

Ben has specialised almost exclusively in planning and environment law since 1996.  Admitted as a Solicitor in 1993, he was an Associate with a National law firm at the time of his admission as a Barrister in 2001.

In addition to his law degree, Ben has a Masters degree in town planning.

Ben was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2009.

• Chair, Regional Intensive Sub-Committee     2015 - Present
• Vice President     2014 - 2018
• Member Finance Sub-Committee     2014 - Present

Kelly Reaston, General Manager Planning and Environment, Cairns Regional Council

Kelly Reaston is a qualified commercial and planning and environment lawyer with local and international experience. Currently the General Manager of Planning & Environment at Cairns Regional Council her portfolio includes strategic planning and development, sustainability, building and engineering services, major events, property management, regulatory services, public health and cemeteries. 

Born and raised in Cairns, Kelly is an advocate for regional representation in environmental and planning policy and regulation. 

Kelly was elected to the Management Committee in 2017.

• Co-Chair, Regional Intensive Sub-Committee    2018 - Present
• Chair, Membership Sub-Committee  2018
• Member, Membership Sub-Committee  2018 - Present

Tom Walton, Director, Urbis

Tom specialises in matters relating to compulsory acquisition, litigation, rating and taxation, dispute resolution and provides advisory services to a broad range of national clients. A number of eastern seaboard port authorities rely on his expertise in lease structuring and rental advice, and his assistance in the resolution of landlord and tenant disputes is highly sought after. Tom also provides ongoing support to many of Australia’s major shopping centre owners, regularly assisting in the annual statutory budgeting process.

Tom was elected to the QELA Management Committee in 2018.

• Co-Chair, Seminar Sub-Committee   2018 - Present
• Member Seminar Sub-Committee   2017-Present