Heidi Asten
Heidi is an accredited specialist in environmental and planning law.
Heidi helps government and private clients to navigate Commonwealth and State environmental and planning approvals for the successful delivery of their projects, and provides integrated advice on climate change and ESG considerations. Her commitment and her experience across the full spectrum of environmental and planning law, including heritage, land access and indigenous cultural heritage, means clients can be confident their business is in safe hands.
Heidi provides strategic advice for complex major projects across the energy, renewable energy, mining, transport, water and urban development sectors. She works with clients to develop approvals strategies integrated with native title and cultural heritage, and with regulatory, community and industry consultation processes.
Heidi brings her deep experience across environmental and related social matters to Herbert Smith Freehills’ ESG advisory and transactional offering. Heidi provides integrated strategic advice across all aspects of environmental and planning law, heritage, Aboriginal cultural heritage, climate and ESG. She advises clients through the operational lifecycle from major project approvals, including social impact and stakeholder engagement, to operational compliance and enforcement, risk management and incident response. Heidi has also worked with Jacqui Wootton and Timothy Stutt to write the Australia chapter for International Comparative Legal Guides’ 2021 guide to ESG law and practice.
Background
LLM University of Cambridge
BA/LLB University of Melbourne
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- major transport infrastructure projects – strategic advice, impact assessment and approvals, and land acquisition and compensation including disputed claims before the Supreme Court
- advising various listed companies on environmental, sustainability and climate change reporting and disclosures and setting climate change targets
- advising on development, operation, acquisition and financing of major renewable energy developments (wind, solar, hydrogen) in Victoria and across Australia, including advice on approvals and amendment of planning permits, compliance, complaints and claims
- EPA investigations, prosecutions and enforcement proceedings, including pollution abatement and clean-up notices and pollution incident response strategies
- advice in respect of contaminated land, including remediation, interaction with regulators and stakeholders, and cost recovery from polluters
Sectors
Related insights
