Insights Library

Updates – As They Happen

Article by Best Hooper 2 July 2020

Clause 52.18 – Planning exemptions to assist in hospitality recovery

Article by Emily Marson 27 October 2020

Leasing Update: Extension of Relief – and some Surprises

A new Bill was introduced on 2nd September 2020 titled the COVID-19 Commercial and Residential…

Article by Giancarlo Romano 15 September 2020

HomeBuilder Scheme – Victorian Guidelines Announced

Article by Giancarlo Romano
& Adam Pincus 6 August 2020

Giancarlo Romano, our newest Principal Lawyer

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our newest Principal Lawyer Giancarlo Romano as…

Article by Best Hooper 15 July 2020

New VCAT Practice Notice PNPE9 – Amendment of Plans and Applications

Article by Emily Marson 2 July 2020

Construction to Help us Re-Build – HomeBuilder Scheme Announced

Some further well received news for our developer and builder community to combat the uncertainty…

Article by Giancarlo Romano
& Adam Pincus 8 June 2020

Virtual Witnessing and Electronic Documents

Article by Ruby Rockman 1 June 2020

Roll Out of North East Link Acquisitions Commences

The Department of Transport has commenced the acquisition process for land affected by the North…

Article by Emily Marson 29 May 2020

Maximising the Development Potential of Land

Article by Lucy Eastoe 27 May 2020

COVID-19 – A little bit of positivity goes a long way

Article by Giancarlo Romano 21 May 2020

VCAT Update from Deputy President Bisucci – 19 May 2020

Article by Eliza Minney 19 May 2020

Amendments to Corporations Act in Response to COVID-19

On Tuesday 5 May 2020, the Treasurer announced changes to the Corporations Act 2001 and…

Article by Ruby Rockman 10 May 2020

The Best Hooper Version of “Business as Usual”

Article by Joel Snyder 8 May 2020

Leasing Update: New Regulations Place Onus on Tenants

All you need to know if you are a party to a Commercial Lease during…

Article by Giancarlo Romano 8 May 2020

Update on VCAT Hearings

Article by Eliza Minney 30 April 2020

Land Tax Relief Legislated for Victorians

On 28 April 2020, the Victorian Parliament enacted the State Taxation Acts Amendment (Relief Measures)…

Article by Giancarlo Romano
& Adam Pincus 29 April 2020

Leases Update: Omnibus Bill – Regulations Still to Come

Article by Giancarlo Romano
& Adam Pincus 23 April 2020

Planning and Development Update: Omnibus Bill

The Victorian Parliament passed the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020 (Bill) today. The Bill…

Article by Jun Yu 23 April 2020

APDA Insights Series: Live Interview with John Cicero

Article by Best Hooper 19 April 2020

Leasing Update: “Mandatory Code of Conduct” Announced for Commercial Tenancy Relief

Article by Giancarlo Romano 15 April 2020

Our new normal

Article by John Cicero 13 April 2020

COVID-19 – Practical Solutions for landlords and tenants (Part 3)

The COVID-19 health crisis has escalated quickly into an unprecedented economic crisis. Government intervention is…

Article by Giancarlo Romano 6 April 2020

COVID-19 – Government Assistance Overview for landlords and tenants (Part 2)

Article by Giancarlo Romano 6 April 2020

COVID-19 Leasing Trilogy – a legal overview for landlords and tenants (Part 1)

COVID-19 has forced individuals into isolation, businesses into indefinite closure, communities into uncertainty and economies…

Article by Giancarlo Romano
& Robert McKay 6 April 2020

A Letter to Our Developer Community

Article by Best Hooper 25 March 2020

10 consecutive years as a first tier leading Town Planning and Development Law Firm

The prestigious Doyle’s Guide 2020 was released today and we are proud to announce that…

Article by Best Hooper 13 March 2020

Visitor car parking the PPTN and the ghost of Benedettis case

Article by Dominic Scally 3 February 2020

Have Water Authorities Gone Too Far?

As we understand it, there is a long-standing practice of water authorities entering private land…

Article by Joel Snyder 20 January 2020

Best Hooper Offering Free Legal Services to Victorian Community Groups for those affected by the bushfires

Article by Best Hooper 8 January 2020

UDIA Life Member Award

Article by Best Hooper 18 December 2019

Introduction of Solar Energy Facility guidelines

Article by Edward Mahony 20 September 2019

Have we hit bottom of the market – population and building approvals projections?

The Urban Design Institute of Australia (“UDIA”) residential development index yearly update research 2019 was…

Article by Robert McKay 19 September 2019

Garden area requirement revisited

Article by Edward Mahony 8 August 2019

Best Hooper recognised as a First Tier Planning and Environment Firm and five lawyers recognised in The Doyle’s Guide 2019

The Doyle’s Guide 2019 Victorian Planning & Environment Law Rankings have just been announced and…

Article by Best Hooper 20 May 2019

Best Lawyers in Australia 2020 Edition – Ian Pitt QC Wins prestigious Lawyer of the Year Award

Article by Best Hooper 22 March 2019

The Plunkett Decision – How it affects loss on sale claims

Known as a “planning blight”, the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (the Act) has long…

Article by Joel Snyder 13 February 2019

Alkero Reconsidered – The latest development in ‘Jezmac’

Article by Eliza Minney 7 February 2019

The Roll-Out of Reformed Infrastructure Contributions Plan

The Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) system was reformed by the ascent of the Planning and Environment…

Article by Joel Snyder 8 January 2019

New regulations for owners corporations

Article by Joel Snyder 2 December 2018

VCAT Decision Small Lot Exemption Aboriginal Heritage Regulations

Article by Lucy Eastoe 26 November 2018

Ground level – what is natural?

Article by Edward Mahony 30 October 2018

Garden Area application – per lot or planning unit?

This was considered in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (‘VCAT’) decision of Sargentson v…

Article by Edward Mahony 30 October 2018

A recent warning about bearing the risk of DCP Infrastructure Projects

Article by John Cicero 28 October 2018

Integrated Decision Making – A Timely Reminder

Best Hooper successfully acted on behalf of the Stonnington City Council (Council) in the Victorian…

Article by Best Hooper 4 September 2018

Planning permits and applications may be eligible for reduced car parking

Article by Edward Mahony 19 August 2018

AIG forum w Hon. Matthew Guy MP and Mr. John Cicero

Best Hooper Principal, John Cicero was part of Panel at the Advanced Investors Group ‘Developer…

Article by Edward Mahony 8 July 2018

Amended Garden Area Requirement – Clarity or Further Confusion?

Article by Emily Marson 22 May 2018

Garden area requirement Tribunal decisions, clarity or confusion?

In the recently published decisions of Sargentson v Campaspe SC (Red Dot) [2018] VCAT 7110…

Article by Emily Marson 9 May 2018

Best Hooper recognised as Best Lawyers in Australia 2019 Edition

Article by Best Hooper 2 May 2018

Best Hooper recognised in The Doyle’s Guide 2018

Article by Best Hooper 2 May 2018

A Slice of Heaven | The Development Potential of Air Rights in Victoria

Article by Joel Snyder 10 April 2018

Rose Maina now Senior Associate at Best Hooper

Best Hooper is pleased to announce the successful promotion of Rose Maina to Senior Associate…

Article by Best Hooper 20 March 2018

What is a Garden?

Article by John Cicero 26 February 2018

Due Diligence – How Much is Enough?

When purchasing existing residential premises, most people do not consider due diligence until after they’ve entered into a contract to buy the property. This is a common mistake.

Article by Best Hooper 16 December 2017

Electronic conveyancing; a no-brainer for property developers

Article by Giancarlo Romano 15 December 2017

How healthy is our Victorian residential development industry?

Together with the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA), Ernst and Young (EY) has presented…

Article by Best Hooper 30 September 2017

Is it more than just a simple fencing dispute?

Article by Best Hooper 28 September 2017

Planning scheme amendments to remove/vary restrictive covenants

There are four principal ways to remove/vary covenants in Victoria: By application to the Supreme…

Article by Edward Mahony 30 August 2017

Best Hooper lawyers top Doyle’s Guide 2017

Article by Best Hooper 30 August 2017

Report and Consent’ under the building regulations – What it is, and what it isn’t

Article by Best Hooper 22 August 2017

Good Design gets green light for Seaford Local

Article by Dominic Scally 26 July 2017

Landowners – Know your rights

As the boundaries of urban Melbourne continue to expand, there’s an increasing demand for new…

Article by Joel Snyder 26 July 2017

Why You Should Want a Lawyer (and Not a Robot)

Article by Best Hooper 15 July 2017

Recognised In The Best Lawyers List

Best Hooper lawyers John Cicero (Principal), Ian Pitt (Q – Special Counsel) and Teresa Bisucci…

Article by Best Hooper 12 July 2017

Trespass by Tower Crane

Article by Best Hooper 11 July 2017

VCAT Decision on the Transitional Provisions in Reformed Residential Zones

The industry has been grappling with the various changes that have been made to the…

Article by Tania Cincotta 11 July 2017

Development Requires Experience and Passion

Article by John Cicero 11 July 2017

Title Insurance Holds the key for Homeowners and Buyers

If you’re a current homeowner, selling a property or developing land, there is a raft…

Article by Giancarlo Romano 22 June 2017

‘Better Apartment Design Guidelines’ The Importance of Dates

Article by Best Hooper 6 June 2017

Melbourne’s Population Set To Soar

Article by Dominic Scally 22 May 2017

Avoid a Dispute by doing a little digging

Article by Best Hooper 16 May 2017

Best Hooper Launches New Property Transaction Services Division

Best Hooper’s new Property Transaction Services division launched last month, with a fresh, holistic approach…

Article by Giancarlo Romano 12 May 2017

Recent Changes To The Victorian State Government’s Planning Provisions

Article by Lucy Eastoe 13 April 2017

The State Government’s Changes To Residential Zones

The long-awaited amendments to the residential zones will be gazetted on 27 March 2017 via…

Article by Emily Marson 27 March 2017

Council Reform Key to Unlock Renewal Development Sites

Article by John Cicero 24 March 2017

Highly contested case facing Gardiners Creek in Glen Iris

The VCAT hearing approved of a development of the land at 1559 – 1567 High…

Article by Romy Davidov 20 March 2017

When Mistakes Happen

Article by Best Hooper 8 February 2017

Tribunal’s Latest Decision on the Meaning of Natural Ground Level

Faversham Mews Pty Ltd V Boroondara CC [2016] VCAT 1954 (“Faversham Mews”) This case commenced…

Article by Best Hooper 28 January 2017

Best Hooper Joins Australia Post’s Land Title Verification of Identity (VOI) Service

Article by Emily Marson 12 December 2016

The Infrastructure Contributions Plan and Melbourne’s Greenfield Growth Areas

Article by John Cicero 9 December 2016

New Regime For Appointing Building Surveyors In Victoria

Article by Best Hooper 24 November 2016

VCAT Decision Favours Laneway Development

The Moonee Valley City Council’s refusal to grant a planning permit for a residential development…

Article by Best Hooper 11 November 2016

Legislative Changes to the Application of GAIC OCT 2016

Article by John Cicero 1 November 2016

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