Natalie has nearly 30 years’ experience in property, planning and environment law, and acts primarily for energy companies, property funds of all kinds and participants in the social infrastructure and health sectors. Her real property experience includes advice on land assembly including acquiring a variety of interests over private and public land, easements and co-use agreements, and a variety of complex commercial leasing transactions including options, agreements for lease, leases, assignments, variations, surrenders, development agreements and fund through arrangements.
Natalie’s expertise includes dealing with all aspects of planning and environmental approvals including environmental effects statements, EPBC approvals, offset arrangements, planning panels, advisory committees and VCAT hearings and dealing with environmental risk, prosecutions and clean-up.
Natalie is client service-focused and is constantly evolving and improving the way she delivers legal services to make it as easy as possible for clients to do business with her. Leading the firm’s Commercial Practice, she takes an innovative approach to pricing, using fixed fees and other alternative fee arrangements to deliver price certainty and value for money.
'Natalie's strengths include her ability to identify and focus on key issues.'
Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide 2026
- Advised Arena REIT on significant capital raising exercises and managing its nationwide portfolio of social infrastructure assets.
- Acting for a range of energy and renewable energy companies including APA, AusNet, Goldwind in respect of land acquisition and compensation, easements, land access, substation leases and licences, and a range of regulatory and general property matters.
- Assisting Moon Dog with agreements for lease and leases over significant property holdings around Victoria.
- Managing compulsory land acquisition and disputed compensation matters for a variety of acquiring authorities and land owners.
- Acting for MLC in relation to various leasing aspects associated with its property portfolios in Victoria and South Australia;
- Acting for Cbus in relation to its head office lease in Perth.
- Advising numerous energy companies including APA, GasNet, Goldwind and AusNet about planning and environmental regimes that apply to them and to their assets, and with planning and environmental approvals including Environment Effects Statements throughout Australia.
- Advising broadly in relation to various environmentally sustainable initiatives, including energy efficiency reporting and carbon trading.
- Negotiating with the EPA and with contributing third parties in relation to the allocation of environmental liability under clean-up and pollution abatement notices.
- Advising utility companies and private developers about the environmental regulatory framework that affects them.
- Drafting environmental management systems, compliance frameworks, and training modules.
- Defending environmental prosecutions.
- Acting for the plaintiff in the landmark land contamination case, Premier v Spotless in the Supreme Court of Victoria, involving liability for contamination caused by activities on neighbouring land.
Australasian Lawyer
Elite Women | 2024
Best Lawyers in Australia
Government practice and Real Property Law | 2025, 2026, 2027
Real Property Law | 2017 - 2023
Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific
Real Estate | 2023-2026
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Environment and Planning | 2025
Real Estate and Environment and Planning | 2022 & 2024
Real Estate | 2023
Real Estate | 2020, 2021
Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession
Property & Real Estate Law | 2022, 2023
Town Planning and Development; Environment, Natural Heritage, Sustainability and Climate Change | 2020, 2021