Sarah Porritt

• Arbitrators & Mediators
• Commercial Law
• Environment & Planning
• Inquests & Inquiries
• Public Law
• Sports, Gaming & Licensing
• Taxation

Sarah is an experienced advocate having developed a broad practice in appeals work encompassing a wide range of regulatory reviews and planning, development and infrastructure related matters.

She is briefed regularly in Supreme Court appeals and trials in a variety of areas especially review hearings at VCAT and planning scheme amendments and advisory committees before Planning Panels Victoria having built her practice around her planning, development and regulatory background.

Sarah appears frequently in matters relating to:

• All aspects of planning approvals for developments and subdivisions; acting for developers, local government, the Minister for Planning and objectors in the planning process; acting for people objecting to planning applications; appeals from initial decision makers to the Supreme Court and VCAT; appearing at Panel hearings including in complex matters relating to environmental and related issues; and – appearing before Advisory Committees relating to major infrastructure projects and proposals
• reviews of Local government decision making such as rates and charges, road acquisition and related matters
• reviews of government actions and decision making
• urgent applications and enforcement proceedings
• compulsory acquisition matters for acquiring authorities and those whose property has been acquired
• Appearing and advising in respect of a wide variety of legislative regimes including:
  • planning; heritage;
  • environment protection including prosecutions and contaminated land proceedings;
  • local government and other regulatory regimes;
  • water licensing;
  • liquor and gaming approvals and hospitality and entertainment regulation;
  • restrictive covenants
• Prosecution and enforcement proceedings in various Courts and Tribunals for both prosecution and defence
• Freedom of information.

Sarah has previously held the following positions and appointments:

• She is a past author of the Lexis Nexis publication Planning and Environment Victoria.
• Sessional Member, Planning Panels Victoria 2001 – 2003
• Member, Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority 2001 – 2004
• Chairperson, Planning and Local Government Committee, Law Institute of Victoria, 2000   2001 Accredited Specialist, Environmental, Planning and Local Government Law, Law Institute of Victoria, 1999 – 2001
• Lecturer (Sessional), Environmental Law, Deakin University, 1998 – 1999
• Honorary lecturer Monash University/Practice Manager Springvale Legal Service, 1994 – 1997
• Sarah is a nationally accredited mediator.

Click here for further information about cases Sarah has been involved in.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation. The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Victorian Bar Inc nor the barrister's clerk have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.