About Emily Johnstone
“Emily asked all the right questions from the outset and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her in every way. She is a very sharp thinker, a clear communicator and an excellent strategist” - Client feedback, 2026
Emily has a broad environment, planning and compulsory acquisition practice, and is recognised for her practical advice. She works with developer, operator and investor clients across the life cycle of a project, from environmental impact assessments, land use and development approvals, EPBC Act issues, contaminated land and pollution incidents, planning appeals, tenure and access, cultural heritage and native title. She advises clients in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Emily's expertise includes:
- Renewable energy development: advising on permit applications, EES and environmental impact assessments, Panel hearings and VCAT, tenure, cultural heritage, compliance issues and neighbour agreements.
- Landowner amenity and neighbour matters: advising project operators and landowners on compliance and community engagement matters, including compliance assessments, landowner engagement, negotiated agreements, investigations and litigation.
- Water: advising on water entitlements and trading, Water Act duties, flood mitigation issues and drainage schemes in greenfield and urban renewal development.
- Environmental compliance and investigations: representation for clients opposite state and federal environmental regulators and planning authorities in various compliance matters, including compulsory interviews and responses to show cause notices.
- Planning panels and VCAT: advice and representation at complex Panels and VCAT matters for greenfield and urban renewal project proposals and rezonings.
- Contaminated land: advice and negotiation on various land contamination matters, including sale of land, EPA clean up notices, regulator negotiations and complex due diligence
- Compulsory acquisition: advice to landowners and public authorities on compulsory acquisition processes, including negotiation of complex compensation claims on behalf of clients facing business losses associated with acquisitions of part of their operating sites
Emily’s recent experience includes advising:
- Renewable energy: on numerous offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, and BESS projects including Acciona Energy, Goldwind, AGL, Foresight, Engie, Corio, Orsted and AC Energy.
- Water authority clients: on Water Act duties, greenfield developments, planning scheme amendments, VCAT, EPA issues and compulsory acquisition for major projects including for Melbourne Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water.
- Development and sale of land: advising on residential and industrial and mixed use developments and related transactions including for confidential data centre developers, QIC, ESR, Ford, Development Victoria and water authority clients.
- Major infrastructure projects: on major government and PPP projects for rail, road and energy infrastructure including the Department of Transport and Planning, Iberdrola, Spark Consortium and Plenary.
- Mining and industrials clients: on approvals strategies, environmental liabilities and tenure issues in connection with significant mines, power stations and industrial sites including for BHP, ERA, Alinta, ExxonMobil and Nyrstar.
- Regulator investigations: advising confidential clients on their responses to regulatory notices and investigations in relation to environmental incidents and alleged EPBC and planning law breaches; and
- Compulsory acquisition: advising acquiring authorities affected landowners and businesses on LACA processes, compensation issues and development strategy in relation to acquisition of land for major Victorian water, transport and health projects.