About Katherine McLellan
Katherine (Kat) is a Managing Associate and environment and planning law specialist in Allens' Melbourne office.
Clients rely on Kat for advice in complex environment and planning matters and disputes at a federal level and in state and territory jurisdictions in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Kat has a particular focus and interest in the renewable energy transition (including large BESS development), major infrastructure projects, data centre planning, offshore infrastructure (including wind development and oil and gas decommissioning), compulsory land acquisition, environmental effects assessments, water law and planning disputes.
Kat is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria, the Victorian Planning & Environmental Law Association, the Planning Institute of Australia, and the Clean Energy Council’s offshore wind and planning and environment focus groups.
Kat also has a keen interest in how AI usage in legal work can deliver value to clients and is the co-convenor of the firm's AI Community of Practice.
Kat's recent experience includes advising:
- Melbourne Water and appearing for the client in Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal planning-permit disputes, including a proposal involving an environmentally sensitive waterway supporting the last local platypus population;
- Victorian water authorities on complex land acquisition and access arrangements for sewer, water and drainage projects;
- McDonald's Australia Ltd in VCAT proceedings concerning its proposed Healesville convenience restaurant development;
- Barings on environmental law matters relating to its approximately $1.5 billion acquisition of Moorabbin Airport;
- La Caisse on environmental and planning law matters related to its $1.7 billion commitment in hybrid securities to be issued by NEXTDC Ltd for data centre development;
- various offshore wind clients in relation to environmental and planning approval strategies, and cultural heritage and Native Title matters related to proposed offshore wind projects in the Gippsland and Illawarra declared areas;
- Cubico on strategy and environment and planning approvals for the development of the Curyo Wind Farm; and
- a major clienton the onshore and offshore components of a large oil and gas decommissioning project.