Rebecca Hoare
Clayton Utz
Rebecca is a Partner in Clayton Utz's Environment and Sustainable Development team, with over 25 years' experience advising on environmental and planning law, climate change and sustainability. She advises clients across the energy, mining, infrastructure and government sectors on major project and environmental approvals, land access arrangements and planning appeals, including appearances in the Planning and Environment Court and the Land Court. Her practice also extends to environmental offsets, planning scheme amendments, infrastructure charging and 24-hour emergency incident response, including regulator and stakeholder management, privileged internal investigations, and representation in environmental prosecutions and civil enforcement action.
Rebecca also advises extensively on sustainability initiatives and reporting, carbon pricing, carbon farming, and energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reporting schemes, helping clients navigate their regulatory obligations as environmental and climate risk increasingly shapes project approvals and corporate strategy. She is recognised across multiple legal directories as a leading lawyer in environment and planning law.
*Arrow Energy: Advised on the Surat Gas Project, including the application of the Regional Planning Interests Act 2014 (Qld), compliance with state and federal approval conditions, amendments to key approvals, and offset arrangements.
*Multicom: Advised on all environmental and compensation aspects of the St Elmo Vanadium Project, working closely with the approvals manager and project team. Provided ongoing strategic advice as the project evolved, reviewed the environmental impact statement to identify regulatory risks early, and prepared submissions to the Queensland environmental regulator on key assessment issues. Led engagement on requirements for the progressive rehabilitation and closure plan, ensuring commitments were defensible and operationally aligned.
*Local government planning litigation: Acted for local councils such as Gold Coast City Council and Logan City Council in Planning and Environment Court appeals and enforcement action.
*RES: Advised on the Moah Creek Wind Farm, the Moah Creek Solar Farm and the Wooderson Solar Farm, including conducting legal review of development application and referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Cth) 1999, advising on the changes to the Queensland planning legislation which introduced the community benefit framework (including in relation to proposed change applications), assisting in the drafting and negotiating of Queensland's (then) first community benefit agreement for a solar farm.
*RWE: Advised on the Cattle Creek Wind Farm, including conducting legal review of development application and EPBC Act referral and advising on the changes to the Queensland planning legislation and the relevant community benefit agreement.
*Stanmore Resources: Advised on a contested transportation mining lease application over an active mining lease, including analysis of newly enacted TML provisions, drafting an objection, and representing Stanmore in Land Court proceedings. Achieved a negotiated resolution preserving operational continuity, commercial relationships and avoiding protracted litigation.
*Linc Energy Limited: Acted for two former executive officers in a prosecution by the Queensland Department of Heritage and Environmental Protection over alleged serious environmental harm from underground coal gasification activities at Chinchilla, described as the largest environmental prosecution in Queensland's history.
*Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Acted pro bono in relation to a mining lease application for alluvial gold mining over a nature refuge, briefing environmental experts, drafting AWC's objection, and representing AWC in Land Court proceedings. Achieved withdrawal of the application, protecting the refuge's integrity.
*South Endeavour Trust: Acted pro bono in relation to a mining lease application over a nature refuge inhabited by the nationally threatened Ghost Bat, briefing experts, drafting SET's objection, and representing SET in Land Court proceedings. Resolved by withdrawal of the application prior to hearing.
*Experience from a previous firm