Appendix D

Parties granted leave to appear

Table D.1 lists all parties granted leave to appear during the course of the Commission. Leave to appear was granted to a person or organisation whose conduct was likely to be scrutinised or questioned as a consequence of evidence led before the Commission.

Table D.1 Parties granted leave to appear

Party

Leave granted in relation to terms of reference

ACE Radio Broadcasters Pty Ltd

Represented by Lamplugh McIntosh Lawyers

1, 2, 3, 10

Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council

Represented by Brett Murphy, Internal Counsel

Counsel: Mandy Fox

2—preparation and planning in relation to stay or go; building in bushfire-prone areas; use of fire shelters/refuges; community warnings; bushfires and use of vehicles; prescribed burning

3—response to fires, including AIIMS ICS; volunteerism in emergency management; agency interoperability

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Represented by Mr Jonathan Duhs, Senior Lawyer, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Counsel: Jeremy Ruskin QC and Jamie Gorton

1, 2, 6, 9, 10

Australian Institute of Architects Victoria

General Counsel: Richard Barton

6, 7, 8

Australian Workers Union

Represented by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

1, 2, 3

Christine Nixon

Initially represented by the Victorian Government Solicitor, then represented by Russell Kennedy

Counsel: Jim Kennan QC and Michael Croucher

1, 2, 3, 9, 10

Commonwealth of Australia

Represented by the Australian Government Solicitor

Counsel: Fiona McLeod SC, Jane Treleaven and Lindy Barrett

Unconditional leave

CSIRO

Represented by Mae Gan, CSIRO In-house Counsel

1, 2, 6, 8

Electrix

Represented by Clayton Utz

Counsel: Samuel R Horgan SC

1, 2, 4—insofar as they related to the Western District fires and systemic problems with electricity

Housing Industry Association

Represented by Glenn Simpson, Housing Industry Association

6, 7, 8

Insurance Council of Australia

Represented by Allens Arthur Robinson

Counsel: Wendy Harris

6, 7, 8

Loy Yang Power

Represented by Holding Redlich

1, 2, 4—insofar as they related to the Churchill fire

Master Builders Association of Victoria

Represented by Angelo Simonetto, In-house Counsel

6, 7, 8

Municipal Association of Victoria (77 Councils)

Represented by Mallesons Stephen Jaques

Counsel: Neil Young QC, Dr Gregory Lyon SC and Jonathon A Redwood

Unconditional leave

Police Association Victoria

Represented by Tony Hargreaves & Partners

Counsel: Ian Hill QC and Darren Bracken

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11

Powercor Australia Limited

Represented by Wotton Kearney Lawyers

Counsel: David Curtain QC and John Goetz

1, 2—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and preparation and planning for fires in relation to power assets

Russell Rees

Initially represented by the Victorian Government Solicitor, then represented by the Office of Crown Counsel

Counsel: Julian Burnside QC and Georgina Costella

1, 2, 3, 9, 10

SP AusNet

Represented by Freehills

Counsel: Richard Stanley QC, Jonathan Beach QC, Donald Farrands and Bernie Quinn

1, 2—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and preparation and planning for fires in relation to power assets

Standards Australia

Represented by Blake Dawson

General Counsel: Fiona Bustos-McNeil

2, 6, 8

State of Victoria —including Department of Sustainability and Environment, Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority, County Fire Authority, Victoria Police, Department of Premier and Cabinet and Department of Justice

Represented by the Victorian Government Solicitor

Counsel: Allan Myers AO QC, Neil Clelland SC, Kerri Judd SC, Garry Livermore, Marita Foley, Justin Brereton, Catherine Button and Christine Melis

Unconditional leave

Telstra Corporation Limited

Represented by Freehills

Counsel: Michael Garner

1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10

United Firefighters Union of Australia

Initially represented by Slater & Gordon

Counsel: Kristine Hanscombe SC and Kate Bowshell and initially Mark Dean SC and Andrew Tragardh

1, 2, 3

Utility Services Corporation Limited trading as Utility Asset Management

Represented by Holman Fenwick Willan

Counsel: Ross Ray QC and Elizabeth Brimer

1, 2—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and preparation and planning for fires in relation to power assets

Victims of fires

Persons represented by Hunter Newns Lawyers

Counsel: Timothy Tobin SC and Lachlan Armstrong

1—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and 3

Victims of fires

Persons represented by Maddens Lawyers

Counsel: Timothy Tobin SC and Lachlan Armstrong

1—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and 3

Victims of fires

Persons represented by Nevin Lenne & Gross Lawyers

Counsel: Timothy Tobin SC and Lachlan Armstrong

1—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and 3

Victims of fires

Persons represented by Maurice Blackburn and Oldham Naidoo Lawyers (previously Slidders Lawyers)

Counsel: Robert Richter QC, Timothy Tobin SC and Lachlan Armstrong

1—causes and circumstances of the fires insofar as they related to power assets and 3

Victorian Association for Forest Industries and the National Association of Forest Industries

Represented by the Victorian Association for Forest Industries

Counsel: Clem A Newton-Brown

7—land-use planning and management, including urban and regional planning

Victorian National Parks Association Inc

Represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (Victoria) Ltd

Counsel: Brendan Sydes

7—land-use planning and management, including urban and regional planning

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria

Represented by Duncan Lawyers

Counsel: Jane Dixon SC, Nicola Collingwood and initially Adrian Finanzio and Christopher Winneke

1, 2, 3

 

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