About Troy
Leading the firm’s Local Government industry group and Planning and Environment team, Troy practises in local government, planning and environment law focusing on planning and environment litigation, infrastructure agreements, Local Government Act advisory, judicial review and health prosecutions.
Troy acts for local governments, state governments and developers.
His experience includes appeals and enforcement proceedings in the Planning and Environment Court, advising on planning, environmental and building issues, drafting and negotiating infrastructure agreements, advising on governance and rating matters for local governments and health prosecutions.
Troy reviews planning strategies in draft planning instruments, advises on administrative law including applications for statutory orders of review and on the enforcement of statutory notices, development offences, vegetation clearing and public health laws.
Troy is renowned for his expert knowledge of the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) particularly with councillor and staff governance obligations, elections, enterprise powers, roads, rating, procurement, powers of entry and delegations.
Troy is a former President of the Queensland Environmental Law Association (QELA). Troy was recently awarded Best Lawyers ‘Lawyer of the Year 2023’ for Land Use and Zoning Law, Brisbane.
Specialisations
Experience
Cairns Regional Council
Successful defence of a refusal of an out of centre supermarket and shop in Trinity Park in the Planning and Environment Court, and the Court of Appeal (Trinity Park Investments Pty Ltd v Cairns Regional Council [2022] QPEC 15; Trinity Park Investments Pty Ltd & Anor v Cairns Regional Council [2022] QCA 261).
Cairns Regional Council
Successful appeal involving a proposed Woolworths shopping centre in Trinity Beach (Fabcot Pty Ltd v Cairns Regional Council & Ors [2020] QPEC 17 and [2022] QPEC 12).
Gold Coast City Council
Successful defence of Council’s decision to refuse a development application for a significant quarry development proposal in Reedy Creek (see Boral Resources v Gold Coast City Council [2017] QPEC 23 and [2018] QCA 75).
Ipswich City Council
Preparing a response to a show cause notice issued by the Minister for Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs under section 120 of the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) in respect of the potential dissolution or suspension of the elected Council. This matter subsequently involved a Supreme Court challenge that resulted in a favourable costs order for Council.
Caravan Parks Association of Queensland
Acting for an association in a successful enforcement proceeding that was the first case to consider the meaning of an ‘ancillary use’ under the Planning Act 2016 (Qld) (see Caravan Parks Association of Queensland v Rockhampton Regional Council [2018] QPEC 52).
Queensland Health
Successful and first prosecution of a company for selling ice (crystal methamphetamine) pipes (see Trio Brothers Pty Ltd v Maskill [2020] QDC 62 and [2020] QCA 235).