Michael Markowitz
Commercial Property
Infrastructure, Major Projects and Energy
Financing
Planning and Environment
Property
Resorts and Tourism
Partner
T +61 3 9321 7868
F +61 3 9321 7900
E mmarkowitz@rigbycooke.com.au
Areas of expertise:
- Infrastructure
- Crown land law
- Major projects
- Water law
- Compulsory land acquisition and compensation
- Administrative law
- Business sales/acquisitions
Professional biography:
Michael has been a Partner of Rigby Cooke for more than 10 years. His clients include government organisations, large construction companies, financiers, infrastructure project management companies and property owners.
Michael’s expertise spans the implementation and development of major projects across a number of industry sectors.
As principal adviser to the Board of Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort, Michael was involved in the preparation of an early public private partnership for the provision of electricity power generation and LPG reticulation within the alpine resort. He has previously advised on the supply and reticulation of LPG at Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek alpine resorts, and acted for the Falls Creek Board in the acquisition of certain assets being part of the Kiewa Hydro scheme by the consortium comprising the ‘Southern Hydro Partnership’.
He has previously advised the Victorian Minister for Sustainability and Environment on appointments to alpine boards of management.
Michael is actively involved in Australia’s water industry, including the development of water supply and transport agreements for rural agribusiness, and water re-use and conservation projects.
He is currently involved in a waste water recycling project at Mount Hotham, which will treat secondary effluent to procure Class ‘A’ water for re-use. This recycled water will meet 95% of current snowmaking requirements, and will also be used in a third pipe system for toilet flushing at Mount Hotham. The project will return approximately 90 megalitres per annum of Class ‘A’ water to improve environmental flows in the Upper Murray catchment. This is an icon project costing approximately $8.9 million in a partnership between the public and private sectors.
He has previously advised the pipeline contractor involved in the construction of a major water irrigation and delivery system (exceeding 120 km in length) for the Barossa Valley.
He is the principal legal adviser to Australian Water Engineering, a company engaged in water infrastructure and agribusiness.
Michael is also a member of the Native Title Practitioners Panel, recognised by the Attorney General’s Department in the allocation of Commonwealth funding for native title claims.
Significant experience:
- Acting for developers, contractors and builders in telecommunications, water, gas, alpine, viticulture and retail projects
- Advising on governance and infrastructure for management of alpine resorts
- Obtaining planning permits for the development of a combined five star hotel/winery in the Yarra Valley with an estimated project value of $80 million
- Obtaining development approvals and advising on infrastructure for Laurimar, an award-winning suburb in the Plenty Valley
- Acted for the Alpine Boards of Management and their predecessor in undertaking most major alpine developments and infrastructure projects in the last 15 years
- Advising Country Fire Authority and Vic Roads on matters affecting Crown land
- Advice to Alpine Resorts Commission and Alpine Boards on policy formulation, corporate governance, infrastructure, risk management, leasing, licensing and franchising
- Acting as group representative on various native title claims for affected industries, graziers and fishing/water interest groups in Victoria
Qualifications:
BA(Legal) – University of Cape Town
Master of City and Regional Planning – University of Cape Town
Professional memberships:
Law Institute of Victoria
