Jessica Baldwin

Expertise

Jessica is a NSW Law Society accredited specialist in planning and environment law, with extensive experience advising and acting for government and private clients.

She has built a career advising on complex environmental and planning matters, including development pathways, compulsory acquisition, contamination, and environmental controls.

Her practice primarily spans Class 1, 3, and 5 jurisdictions of the NSW Land and Environment Court.

Jessica regularly provides expert guidance and advice on navigating legal and regulatory processes.

Jessica is listed in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia™ for Planning and Environmental Law. She was also previously recognised as the winner of the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards in the Native Title, Planning and Environment category.

Experience

Jessica’s experience includes:

• acting in Class 5 criminal proceedings for Council and NSW Government agencies for breaches of environmental and planning laws
• acting for private landholders, councils and NSW Government agencies in Class 1 proceedings regarding complex planning regimes and regulations
• advising and acting for government agencies and private clients on numerous compulsory acquisitions matters through all stages of the process, including pre-acquisition negotiations, post-acquisition negotiations, and Class 3 appeals in the Land and Environment Court
• acting for a company in the Supreme Court in a nuisance and negligence claim regarding land and groundwater contamination, including complex hydrogeological issues
• advising and acting for private clients in relation to investigations by NSW Natural Resources Access Regulator and NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for alleged environmental offences, including responses to requests for information and records
• assisting in the purchase and transfer of biodiversity credits under the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme
• advising private and government clients on clean up notices and development control orders.

Membership

• NSW Law Society Accredited Specialist – Planning & Environment Law
• Member of the National Environmental Law Association’s Climate Change Working Group