Jeff is the Executive Director of EDO NSW. He is responsible for organisational leadership, governance and business management, and external relations at EDO NSW. He has been at EDO NSW since 2002.
He is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW with a Masters of Law from Sydney University (majoring in Environmental Law and Policy). Jeff has written extensively in the fields of environmental law, criminal law and litigation.
Prior to joining EDO NSW he was involved in drug law reform and criminal justice work at the Attorney General’s Department, worked in strategic policy for the Environment Protection Authority and taught law at university.
Jeff is the Chair of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law, and is also a member of the Steering Committee for the Climate Institute and the Special Purpose Assessment Committee for the Contaminated Land Management Program administered by the Environmental Trust.
He has previously been on the Boards of the Environmental Planning and Law Association, CLCNSW, the Total Environment Centre and the Steering Committee for the Climate Action Network Australia.
Kirsty joined EDO NSW as the Principal Solicitor in October 2006. As Principal Solicitor, she is responsible for the legal advice and casework program within the office. Kirsty has over 16 years experience in litigation. She has had significant involvement in climate litigation, including the first challenge under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). She has also been involved in a number of important cases run by EDO NSWin the areas of planning , including the Catherine Hill Bay case and marine biodiversity including the Japanese whaling case. In addtion, she has extensive experience in cases relating to administrative law, pollution , cultural heritage, biodiversity, mining and public interest costs area. She has written extensively in the area of environmental law.
Kirsty has a BA (Hons)/LLB (Hons) from the Australian National University and a Graduate Diploma in Arts (writing) from Swinburne University.
Kirsty’s previous work experience includes the Australian Government Solicitor's Office in Sydney in trade practices law, administrative law, environmental law, intellectual property law and native title. In 2002 and 2003 she worked in the Attorney-General’s Office in Samoa and the Public Solicitor Office in the Solomon Islands on Ausaid projects. She also worked at EDO-NQ, Cape York Land Council , and as a Lecturer at James Cook University.
Kirsty is currently on the Committee of the Environment and Planning Law Association.
Jemilah joined EDO NSW in 2006 and is currently the Legal Outreach Director at the Sydney office. She is responsible for the development and delivery of the EDO NSW Outreach Program which includes legal workshops, seminars, conferences and a range of plain English publications designed to educate the community about environmental laws and how they can be used to protect the environment. She has written extensively on a number of environmental law issues, including planning, mining and private conservation. From time to time, she guest lectures in environmental law at universities throughout Sydney.
Jemilah is admitted as a solicitor in NSW. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a
Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) from the University of Western Sydney.
Rachel Walmsley is the Policy and Law Reform Director at the EDO NSW. She has written law reform submissions and discussion papers across a range of environmental issues, including responding to significant reforms that are proposed for planning and environmental laws in NSW and nationally.
Rachel has a Masters in Environmental Science and Law from University of Sydney; a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice; a Bachelor of Laws with Honours in international environmental law; and a Bachelor of Arts from ANU.
Rachel is Co-consulting Editor of the Australian Environment Review, and has lectured on environmental law at UNSW. Rachel is also a member of a number of government & non-government advisory committees on natural resource and environment issues. Previous work has included advising the peak environment groups of NSW on environmental legislation; undertaking research for the Australian Centre for Environmental Law (ACEL) at ANU in Canberra; and conservation field work for a British conservation organisation in Tanzania.
Megan joined EDO NSW in August 2011. Her role involves management of EDO NSW’s Scientific Advisory Service, including the provision of in-house objective scientific advice to EDO NSW staff and our clients and using our Expert Register to source external scientific expertise for public interest legal matters.
Megan has a Bachelor of Science (natural resource management) from Macquarie University and a Master of Marine Science (fisheries management) from UNSW. She is currently completing a PhD at Macquarie University on tourism impacts on humpback whales off Sydney and in Tonga.
Megan has previously worked with Landcare Australia and on marine and fisheries issues, energy conservation and threatened species management.
Natasha has extensive experience in environment and planning law in a number of jurisdictions. She holds a Masters of Environmental Law from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws/Arts from the University of Otago, New Zealand.
Natasha’s practice at EDO NSW involves running litigation, providing legal advice and writing and presenting on a wide range of environmental law issues at State and National level, aincluding forestry, water, planning and local government law, renewable energy, mining and infrastructure, and biodiversity offsetting.
Her litigation experience includes merits and judicial review proceedings in the Land and Environment Court (NSW), Federal Court and Court of Appeal.
Natasha has published and presented on planning, biodiversity and threatened species, and forestry law, and is the current updating author of Threatened Species and Forests M Kirby AC CMG (ed in chief) Laws of Australia (LawBookCo online).
Sue is a Senior Solicitor at the EDO NSW Northern Rivers office. She has a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours.
Before joining EDO NSW Sue worked as a solicitor in private practice in Lismore in a number of areas including property and criminal law. Her work has included acting inside and outside the Courts at the intersection of environmental protest and the criminal law. She has also taught Environmental Law at Southern Cross University in Lismore.
Before becoming a solicitor Sue worked in the environment movement for a number of years. She has done extensive work in relation to forest conservation in North East New South Wales. She was an active campaigner and spokesperson for the North East Forest Alliance. Sue's particular area of interest in environmental law is biodiversity and threatened species conservation.
Ian is a Senior Solicitor at the EDO NSW Northern Rivers office. He provides advice and litigation services across EDO NSW's programme areas. Ian has experience in running cases in various Courts and Tribunals including:
• Federal Court matters under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act1999 (Cth);
• Judicial review matters in the NSW Land and Environment Court, including cases about planning laws and the protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage;
• Objector appeals in the NSW Land and Environment Court;
• Appeals in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; and
• Access to information reviews in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal.
Ian has a Bachelor of Laws-European (Honours) from the University of Warwick in England and a Masters of Environmental Law from Macquarie University. He is an author of the Environment & Planning chapter of the NSW Law Handbook.
Before joining EDO NSW, Ian was Principal Legal Officer at the NSW Department of Local Government.
Mark is a Dunghutti man originally from the Armidale area and joined EDO NSW in March 2012. Mark’s role is to implement the EDO NSW Indigenous Engagement Program. In this position, Mark liaises with different Indigenous communities and organisations to provide legal advice and education on environmental matters affecting Indigenous peoples in particular.
Mark has a Bachelor of Laws with Second Class Honours from the University of Technology, Sydney and has worked with a number of different organisations on Indigenous legal issues, including the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), the NSW Legal Aid Commission and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Mark is also a member of different groups that advocate the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples, including the Indigenous Peoples Organisation Network, the NSW Law Society’s Indigenous Legal Issues Committee and the Gamarada Mens Healing Group.
Elaine joined EDO NSW in January 2011 as a Solicitor in the Sydney Office. She provides clients with advice and representation on a wide range of environmental legal issues including administrative law, planning, pollution, biodiversity, mining and coal seam gas. Elaine has represented clients seeking better environmental outcomes through civil enforcement, such as the Delta and Macarthur Bushwalkers water pollution cases. She also acted for Fullerton Cove residents in obtaining the first coal seam gas injunction in NSW, and helped gain better environmental conditions for a coal mine in the Duralie coal mine merits appeal.
Elaine holds a Bachelor of EnvMgmt/LLB (Hons) from Macquarie University, and has worked as Associate Lecturer with Macquarie’s Centre for Environmental Law. Other previous work experience includes as a solicitor in private practice at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, in government at the Office of Environment and Heritage, and as the Environment Liaison Officer for combined environment groups. Elaine also spent 18 months volunteering with the Landowners’ Advocacy and Legal Support Unit at the Public Solicitor’s Office in the Solomon Islands.
Elaine is currently on the Law Society’s Environmental Planning and Development Committee.
Corrina joined EDO NSW permanently in May 2011 as a solicitor in the Sydney office. She has been with EDO since July 2010 as a volunteer and also on a locum basis. She provides legal advice and litigation services across the spectrum of environment and planning issues.
Corrina holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales. She has a keen interest in administrative law and achieved the award of first place in Local Government Law in her degree. Other previous experience includes working in government in the area of legislative drafting and also with an independent statutory corporation administering the National Electricity Market.
Emily is the Outreach Solicitor at the EDO NSW Sydney office and is responsible for the delivery of community legal education and other legal services to rural and regional NSW, including workshops, seminars, and a range of plain English publications.
Emily is admitted as a solicitor in NSW. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Southern Cross University, and is currently undertaking a Master of Environmental Law at the University of Sydney.
Emily is currently on the Law Society of NSW Young Lawyers Environment and Planning Law Committee.
Emma joined the law reform team in 2011 and has since worked on matters concerning treaty implementation in Australia, water management, wetland conservation, marine biodiversity, renewable energy and planning. Prior to joining EDO NSW, Emma worked as an independent consultant, collaborating with NGOs and government departments to improve environmental policy. She also has several years’ experience as an in-house environment and planning lawyer at both local and State government levels.
Emma studied Arts/Law at the University of NSW, where she was awarded the Stephen Seidler Memorial Prize for the Best Achievement in Environmental Law. She went on to obtain a BA (Hons 1) in Communications from the University of Technology, Sydney, as well as a Diploma (equivalent Hons 1) in Advanced French from the Sorbonne. She is currently completing a PhD in Creative Writing and French with the University of Adelaide.
Nari joined EDO NSW in March 2011 as Acting Policy Director, and has resumed a permanent role as Policy and Law Reform Solicitor since April 2012. Nari works with EDO NSW colleagues and the Australian Network of EDOs to promote good environmental regulation, and assists community and environment groups and State and federal government agencies with policy and law reform advice. This includes writing submissions, discussion papers and community briefing notes in areas such as planning and development law, mining law (including coal seam gas), biodiversity protection and climate change and energy.
Nari has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Hons 1) from Macquarie University, Sydney, and is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales. Prior to joining EDO NSW, Nari was a Deputy Director of Policy at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. He has also worked with the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (a native title representative body), and LawAccess NSW (State Attorney-General's Department). Nari is also a member of the Management Committee of the Total Environment Centre.
BJ is the International Programs Coordinator at EDO NSW. He is responsible for developing and delivering EDO NSW’s International Program which is focussed on capacity building for environmental protection in the Pacific and includes training, multidisciplinary advice and support, volunteer placements, and engaging in international environmental networks.
BJ graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University and is admitted as a lawyer in NSW.
Before taking up the International Programs role, BJ was a Solicitor with EDO NSW’s litigation team for 2 years, worked in corporate practice, and also was an adviser on an AusAID funded project the Attorney-General's Department in Papua New Guinea.
