Landholder engagement crucial for achieving AEMO’s Integrated System Plan (ISP) // A Statement from Law Squared
Law Squared’s Energy + Infrastructure team welcomes the release of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP), providing much needed guidance and clarity for Australia as it works towards a greener, more resilient energy future.
The ISP confirms that renewable energy is the most cost-effective solution for Australia to meet both its growing electricity demand, and its ambitious net-zero targets. Whilst the ISP serves as a roadmap, it is now for governments (state and federal), investors and energy market participants to work together to deliver much needed solutions that will meet the future needs of the energy grid, energy consumers and ultimately the broader community.
Given the scale of critical infrastructure projects needed under the ISP, including transmission lines, solar, wind and battery projects, landholder and community engagement is now required at a level not seen in Australia for over thirty years.
While investment, planning approvals, environmental considerations and cultural heritage plans are being addressed, the involvement of a multitude of Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs), government agencies, delivery partners and stakeholders, demands consistent, clear and respectful communication with landholders, alongside comprehensive community consultation. This is not merely a matter of goodwill; it is fundamental to streamline land access and accelerate progress towards our renewable energy goals.
As an appointed legal delivery partner for one of Victoria’s first transmission line projects under the ISP, Law Squared has firsthand experience addressing the complexities of large-scale land acquisition and landholder engagement. Recognising the importance of positive engagement to mitigate reputational damage, minimise legal challenges and avoid delays. Law Squared has shifted from a traditional, oftentimes adversarial legal approach, towards a multidisciplinary, project-based methodology. Combining legal expertise with project management, our multidisciplinary team facilitates more efficient legal planning, effective data collection, seamless legal delivery and positive landholder engagement.
Underpinned by our landholder technology platform and guided by the principle that ‘clarity is kindness’, Law Squared collects accurate, relevant and consistent data across all phases of landholder engagement. Serving as a single source of truth, this data is used to inform strategic negotiations, enhance operational efficiencies and minimise the need for compulsory land acquisition, safeguarding project timelines and budgets. Most importantly, this unprecedented visibility helps build trust with affected stakeholders through clear and consistent communications.
Our use of data also provides energy and infrastructure clients with enhanced project monitoring and reporting in real time, and creates opportunities to continuously refine and improve our approach for future engagements.
Law Squared acknowledges the tremendous work and effort by AEMO, and its stakeholders, in both the creation of, and ultimate delivery of the ISP. The delivery of these projects demands focused attention on the impact to local communities and effective, positive and collaborative landholder engagement.
Law Squared is proud to play an important role in supporting TNSPs and other delivery partners working closely with host communities to enable efficient and effective landholder engagement, leading to fair land access rights and ultimately enabling the construction and operation of these critical infrastructure projects.
To learn more about Law Squared’s Energy + Infrastructure practice and its multi-disciplinary approach to landholder engagement and land access visit here or contact Demetrio Zema, Sarah Ward or Joanna Brand via [email protected]