Rupert Watters

Profile

Rupert joined the Bar in 2010 and practices primarily in the administrative law, with a particular focus on planning and environment law. He is currently briefed as junior counsel to Nick Tweedie SC, serving as Counsel Assisting the Inquiry and Advisory Committee appointed to consider the Environment Effects Statement for the Melbourne Metro Rail Project.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Rupert undertook articles at Allens and subsequently at the Environment Defenders Office (Victoria). In 2015, Rupert took a year away from the Bar to help raise his children. For much of that time, he worked as Special Counsel in the Planning and Environment and Local Government and Public Sector department of Harwood Andrews, providing advice and appearing for private clients and Councils.

Rupert also has experience in a number of other areas of administrative law and statutory interpretation, including habeas corpus proceedings, migration law and judicial review of decisions under the Infringements Act.

Notable cases include:

• Advised and appeared for the respondents in proceedings for breach of a retail lease (Conlan v Dundon [2016] VCAT 972 - unled)
• Advised and appeared for landholders in Panel proceedings in relation to amendments to both the Macedon Ranges and Greater Geelong Planning Schemes
• Advised on a number of matters relating to the modification or removal of restrictive covenants
• Advised and appeared for an interested party in Forum Theatre Holdings Pty Ltd v Melbourne City Council ([2016] VSC 534 - led by Adrian Finanzio SC)
• Advised and appeared for Transpacific Waste Management in a challenge to a special charge scheme established by Brimbank City Council (Transpacific Waste Management Pty Ltd v Brimbank CC [2014] VCAT 697 - unled)
• Appeared for the Tarkine National Coalition Inc. in a judicial review of the decision of the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment to approve a mine in the Tarkine in western Tasmania under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Tarkine National Coalition Inc v Minister for the Environment [2014] FCA 468 - led by Mark Moshinsky QC)
• Advised and appeared for Yarra City Council in the merits hearings before the Assessment Committee for the East West Link and in the subsequent judicial review of the approvals purportedly granted for that project (led by Adrian Finanzio SC)
• Advised and appeared from an objector group challenging the decision of the Queensland government to approve the Alpha mine in the Galilee Basin (Hancock Coal Pty Ltd v Kelly & Ors [2014] QLC 12 - led by Adrian Finanzio SC)