Posts by stokeslawyers
NDAs and Contamination
Common Pitfalls in Nondisclosure Agreements? The nondisclosure agreement (NDA) is a common contract used to enable collaboration and sharing of confidential information between companies or other entities. However, with increased collaboration and the speed at which business moves these days, NDAs are often not given the deference they deserve. For example, it seems many fail…
Read MoreAmendments to the Queensland Planning Regulation provides more housing options in lower density residential zones
In one bold and swift move, the Queensland State Government has made quite significant amendments to the Planning Regulation 2017 (Planning Regulation), which were approved on 1 December 2022 and came into effect on 2 December 2022. Broadly speaking, the changes essentially prohibit local government from regulating rooming accommodation (that has up to five occupants…
Read MoreCase Study: The Importance of Legally Protecting your Intellectual Property
Case Study: The Importance of Legally Protecting your Intellectual Property In the knowledge-oriented economy we live in today, leading companies must recognise that “Innovation without protection is philanthropy”. Stokes Lawyers Special Counsel, Brett Nelson, has many cautionary tales to tell from his experience advising clients internationally, including some of the largest companies in Asia. …
Read MoreIs your property affected by the M1 Upgrade – Daisy Hill to Logan Motorway?
The project The Daisy Hill to Logan Motorway (DH2LM) upgrade is the third stage of the M1 North upgrade program which first broke ground in 2019. The DH2LM project is currently in the business case phase of the project and the final business case is expected to be delivered by mid-2023 and then the design…
Read MoreHas your Property been flagged for Resumption – Think about Applying for Early Acquisition
Your land may be flagged for compulsory acquisition by a constructing authority well in advance of when a project is likely to commence. Land is generally not acquired either by negotiation or through the formal resumption process, until construction of a project is imminent. However, land may be acquired earlier than needed by a constructing…
Read MoreCase Study: Expert evidence, Noise and Amenity
Gold Coast Motorsport Training Centre Pty Ltd v Gold Coast City Council & Ors [2021] QPEC 33 provides direction from the Planning and Environment Court with respect to expert evidence, and evidence with respect to amenity, and noise. It was lodged as an appeal against Council refusal for a kart racing facility, but as a…
Read More2022 Queensland Land Valuations – do you need to object?
The 2022 Queensland Land Valuations were released yesterday, 31 March 2022. You can find further information about your land valuation here New valuations for properties in Queensland The local government areas being revalued include: Boulia, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Croydon, Douglas, Etheridge, Fraser Coast, Gold Coast, Goondiwindi, Gympie, Ipswich, Livingstone, Lockyer Valley,…
Read MoreProbuild Collapse and Sub-contractor Recovery Options
On 24 February 2022 builder Probuild was placed in administration. This leaves in the vicinity of $5b worth of building projects in limbo around the country. While the administrators, Deloitte, attempt to secure a new owner for the business and therefore achieve completion of the 18 major building projects that are now in limbo, sub-contractors…
Read MoreLogan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project – Funding Commitment Announced by the Queensland Government
Recently the Queensland Government committed $1.121 billion in funding to deliver the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project. The project is expected to have a total cost of $2.598 billion. A copy of the media release can be found here If your property is affected by the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail Project,…
Read MoreHigh Court clarifies whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor
Earlier this month the High Court delivered two highly anticipated decisions regarding whether a worker was an employee or an independent contractor. The High Court took a traditional contract interpretation approach and in doing so applied its reasoning in the Workpac v. Rossatto decision from August last year. Rossatto was a decision in relation to…
Read MoreMajor Amendments proposed for the Logan Planning Scheme 2015
Logan City Council (Council) is proposing four major amendments to the Logan Planning Scheme (Planning Scheme), being: Health care service amendment (view Explanatory Report) Housing and lot diversity amendment (view Explanatory Report) Major planning scheme amendment 2021 (view Explanatory Report) Mixed use amendment (view Explanatory Report). Have your say Council is inviting your feedback on the proposed changes from Monday…
Read MoreHow Much Can a Koala Bear? Koala Protection Measures in SEQ
Development in mapped koala areas has become a complex framework, meaning that developers and consultants need to have significant knowledge about the koala protection framework in order to make developments feasible. This article will give a brief overview of the koala protection framework. Introduction of koala protection measures The introduction of the koala protection measures…
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