Ross Blair

Service Areas:

• Commercial
• Contracting with Government
• Future Law Team

A Little About Me

As green issues, climate change and global warming became more a part of everyday concern, I joined McKean Park to ensure that these issues and their relationships to business are clarified and managed. I was the former Senior Counsel with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (now DSE), so I have a special understanding of government and the internal operations of various government departments. I act for a range of government agencies, but also for many clients who have business with government or need representation in dealing with government at whatever level is required.

With my knowledge of environmental issues, I am a founding member of McKean Park’s Future Law Team and personally responsible for Greenhouse Emissions Trading, an area of law on which I have published papers, advised and spoken widely to government, major political parties and a range of businesses.

I originated the key Victorian legislation for Greenhouse Emissions and have been retained to advise regarding its development to provide for future Carbon Trading. I believe that Carbon Trading and Environmental Property Law are two new legal areas that will have tremendous impact on people in the near future. Carbon Trading is already estimated to have a potential financial impact at least twice the value of the GST revenue generated and is essential if global warming is to be reduced.

In conjunction with the Future Law Team, I am interested in extending legal 'boundaries' in many areas including:

• Water rights and obligations
• Climate control
• Biodiversity banks

While Future Law Issues keep me extremely busy, I have also drafted many government documents in common use such as standard Crown leases and licences. I have also negotiated many agreements both for and with government. At McKean Park I am able to assist clients in obtaining appropriate departmental action and to help them in protecting their rights. I recently took action to substantially reduce Crown rents for community use organisations. Through past experience in Government I have gained a wide knowledge of Crown land issues and departmental initiatives and requirements.

One unique niche area of my practice at McKean Park is developing Rules under the Association Incorporation Acts in all States and Territories for Rotary and Rotaract Clubs. The clubs have welcomed this initiative and if you are interested it is more fully detailed in a special area of this website. 

Publications:

• 26-Mar-2008 : A Carbon Market in Australia (Article)
• 24-Oct-2007 : A Carbon Market in Australia (Article)
• 24-Oct-2007 : Embodied Energy in Carbon Market  (Article)
• 16-Jul-2007 : Five Star Building Problems  (Article)
• 3-May-2007 : Droughts (Article)
• 5-Mar-2007 : Hydrogen - Energy of the Future (Article)
• 19-Jan-2007 : Getting Smart About Greenhouse (Article)
• 19-Jan-2007 : The Scourge of Global Warming (Article)
• 15-Nov-2006 : Licenses to Use Crown Land (Article)
• 5-Nov-2006 : Renegotiating the Kyoto Treaty (Article)
• 1-Nov-2006 : Global Warning (Things you need to know about Global Warming) (Article)
• 15-Sep-2006 : (An Inconvenient) Truth Must Out (Article)
• 12-Sep-2006 : Birth of Global Warming (Article)
• 12-Sep-2006 : Drought or Permanent Condition? (Article)
• 14-Jul-2006 : The Greenhouse Chain Reaction (Article)
• 9-Jun-2006 : Nukes In Our Future (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 1. The Background (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 2. What Went Wrong (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 3. What Happened Next (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 4. Problems  (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 5. More Problems (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 6. But There's More (Article)
• 11-Apr-2006 : The Australian Greenhouse Story - 7. Some Conclusions (Article)
• 28-Nov-2005 : Remembering Lake Nyos (Article)
• 25-Oct-2005 : A Technological Answer To Global Climate Change (Article)
• 25-Oct-2005 : Climate Change – Issuing the Writs (Article)
• 25-Oct-2005 : The Warnings of Hurricane Katrina (Article)