CONTACTS

Local Government

McCullough Robertson is a trusted legal service provider to Queensland local governments in all parts of the State. Many of our competitors have ‘abandoned the bush’ but we strive to provide quality service to our local government clients irrespective of size.

We appreciate the complex and extensive range of issues facing Queensland local governments, as a regulator and as a commercial entity and employer to a diverse workforce.

Our local government specialist lawyers provide timely, practical and cost effective legal services to local government. We also value-add with our experience by regularly undertaking training seminars designed to improve local government administrative and enforcement procedures.

We provide advice to all levels of local government, including Councillor and CEO level through to officers within the corporate structure.

We also recognise the special role Queensland local governments have as a model litigant. We always endeavour to keep ‘public interest’ considerations at the forefront of our minds in conducting litigation for local government and work with integrity and professional courtesy in our dealings with the Court, other legal professionals and self-represented persons.

In planning and environment matters we aim to explore ‘win/win’ negotiated outcomes as a first measure in litigation. Our lawyers are also legal service providers to developers and understand the issues which face that industry. Accordingly, we are uniquely placed to assist local governments as we have an eye for the commercial and practical solutions that do not sacrifice the integrity of important and hard-fought environmental and planning strategies.

We provide specialist legal services to local governments in the following areas:

local government advisory - advice on all administrative, commercial and other corporate matters that arise for local governments under the Local Government Act 1993 and other process-oriented legislation such as the Integrated Planning Act 1997
litigation - representation for local governments in all courts including the Planning and Environment Court, Magistrates Court, Industrial Relations Commission and other civil courts
front-end commercial - preparation of all commercial related documents for local governments including agreements relating to procurement, infrastructure, construction and employment
administrative law and corporate governance - compliance with a range of administrative law legislation affecting local government, including preparation of codes of conduct, preparation of new committee meeting procedures and reviews of delegations and appointments of authorised persons
training - preparation of material and seminars across a diverse range of local government industries such as employment and enforcement (including evidence collection procedures).