About Us
Tony Pickup has been a Lawyer practising in the areas of local government, planning and environmental law for over 20 years.
He was the Legal & Property Officer at Hornsby Council for 7 years and their in-house solicitor for 5 years. In 2004 Tony became a Partner at Storey & Gough a Sydney firm that specialised in local government, planning and environmental law, where he worked for local councils and developers. His local government clients included Hornsby, Parramatta, Warringah, Gosford and Auburn Councils and he acted for developers and private clients in other Council areas.
In 2012 he established and was the Principal Lawyer for Local Government Legal which provided legal services to NSW Local Councils in the areas of local government, planning, environmental, administrative and property law. With this background, Tony has a unique understanding of not just the structure and processes existing within Councils, but also the special complexities and the competing interests between Councils and developers.
In 2017 Tony set up Pickup Legal a small boutique firm that specialises in local government, planning and environmental law and acts for clients that need assistance in resolving any legal issues in those areas.
He is a founding member and was Secretary of the Local Government Lawyers Group. This group comprises about 16 members who regularly meet to consider issues that arise within the local government, planning and environmental sphere. The group is well regarded by the Land & Environment Court and has a member on the Court Users Group.
Tony is an experienced Solicitor-advocate who appears in the majority of class 1 and 2 merit appeals in the Land and Environment Court, criminal prosecutions in the Local Court and reviews before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Tony is also experienced in civil enforcement and Class 4 proceedings in the Land & Environment Court.
Being very familiar with local council decision making processes in its many capacities Tony can assist private clients and developers to navigate the difficulties that arise in trying to develop their land. He regularly provides advice on varied aspects of the development process, including interpretation of planning controls and legislation, and the avenues available to obtain development approvals. In addition, he also advises clients in relation to the exercise of power by local councils. Importantly, Tony’s experience allows him to identify administrative law issues in other litigation and advices, ensuring council’s functions are exercised fairly and in accordance with legal principles.
Tony has also both acted for and appeared on behalf of developers and councils in judicial review matters in the Land and Environment Court, Supreme Court and NCAT.
Local Government Law
Tony Pickup was the Managing Partner and Director of Local Government Legal (LGL) and has had a career spanning over 40 years working with local government, over half of which as a Solicitor. Tony established LGL in 2012 and the firm acted exclusively for local councils practicing in the areas of Local Government Law, Environmental and Planning Law, Administrative Law, Property and Conveyancing Law.
Tony’s experience in Local Government law includes advising on meeting procedures, provisions of the Code of Conduct, conflict of interest, strategic integrated planning and reporting requirements, the management of community land, the making and charging of fees for services, ratings matters and regulatory orders and approvals.
He has represented and appeared for local councils in several jurisdictions, including the Court of Appeal in relation to a council’s powers as a water supply authority to impose development servicing charges. Most recently Tony has acted for a local council in class 4 proceedings brought against a council by a local councillor in relation to whether the role had become vacant. He has also appeared on a number of occasions in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal relating to appeals against council’s decision-making under various legislation including the GIPA Act and the Impounding Act.
Tony’s experience allows him to advise clients in relation to the interacting framework of legislation that governs local councils, whether acting as roads authority, consent authority, regulatory authority or owner or manager of land.
Environmental and Planning Law
Tony has had extensive experience in advising and representing clients in Local Court prosecutions, Class 1, 2, 3 and 4 appeals in the Land and Environment Court, and also in the Court of Appeal in relation to various pieces of legislation including Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Local Government Act 1993, Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, Roads Act 1993 and Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991, as well as local environmental plans, development control plans and state environmental planning policies.
Tony has also advised clients in relation to development and modification applications and issues surrounding those applications, characterisation and permissibility of development, exempt and complying development, existing use rights and continuing use rights, breaches of development consent and unlawful works.
Public Health & Environmental Health
Tony is an experienced Solicitor-advocate who appears for clients in the majority of class 1 and 2 merit appeals in the Land and Environment Court, criminal prosecutions in the Local Court and reviews before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Tony has vast experience in Public and Environmental Health and has prosecuted matters under the POEO Act in the Local Court and the Land and Environment Court, and also advised clients in relation to the issuing of notices and orders in respect of pollution incidents, clean up notices and various options for enforcement.
