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Maryrorough Solar advised on Court of Appeal decision
Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Maryrorough Solar in relation to a Court of Appeal decision on Queensland solar regulation.
Emma Musgrave
Firm: Herbert Smith Freehills (Maryrorough Solar)
Value: Undisclosed
Area: Energy and resources
Key players: The Herbert Smith Freehills team was led by partner Aaron Anderson, supported by senior associate Nicole Jones and solicitor Madeleine Day.
Deal significance: “The Electrical Safety (Solar Farms) Amendment Regulation 2019 (Qld), which came into force on 13 May, had been ruled invalid in a decision by Justice Bradley of the Supreme Court of Queensland on 29 May, following a challenge by Maryrorough Solar,” a statement from HSF explained.
“Under the legislation, which came into force on 13 May, licensed electrical workers were required to locate, mount, fix and remove unplugged solar panels at solar projects above 100 kilowatts, adding significant red tape for no clear benefit.”
Commenting on the outcome, Mr Anderson said: “We are very pleased that the court has upheld Justice Bradley’s decision. This regulation would have added substantially to the construction cost of solar projects in Queensland without improving the safety of workers.”
“It’s certainly a relief,” added Lane Crockett, head of renewables for Impact Investment Group, the financial backers of Maryrorough Solar.
“This gives us the certainty we need to move forward, hiring the workers we need to keep building this solar farm. When it’s finished, the Brigalow Solar Farm will provide enough clean power for more than 11,000 homes.
“I think the solar industry is still ready to work with the state government to give them the confidence that this industry will be good for all Queenslanders as it’s good for the planet.”
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
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