Emma Peppler

Emma specialises in planning, environment and property related matters in administrative, commercial, common law and criminal jurisdictions.

Emma accepts briefs in:

• Appeals – for a wide range of merits review, judicial review and declaration applications;
• Inquiries and Advisory Committees;
• Commercial matters involving a planning/environment aspect;
• Property law matters relating to subdivision, easements and covenants, adverse possession, rates and owners’ corporations;
• Compensation, valuation and acquisition matters;
• Criminal matters involving regulatory charges;
• Enforcement matters; and
• Matters involving planning and environment related torts (negligence/nuisance/trespass).     

Emma was recognised as a pre-eminent junior counsel in planning and environment law in the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020 and 2019 Doyles Guide; and as a leading junior counsel in planning and environment law in 2021, 2018, 2017 and 2016. 

In 2021 and 2025 Emma produced podcast episodes in relation to the new Environment Protection Act 2017, and is frequently briefed in matters relating to that Act.

Selected notable cases include:

• 2025 – Western Renewables Link Inquiry and Advisory Committee (led by Juliet Forsyth SC)
• 2025 – Warracknabeal Energy Park Environment Effects Statement Inquiry (led by Peter O’Farrell KC)
• 2025 – McCrae Landslide Inquiry (led by Kylie Evans KC)
• 2025 – Supreme Court appeal in relation to Level Crossing Removal Project (led by Richard Knowles KC)
• 2025 – Administrative Review Tribunal appeal in relation to Melbourne Airport (led by Jason Pizer SC)
• 2025 – Supreme Court claim in relation to interaction between the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the Building Act 1993
• 2024 – Supreme Court nuisance claim (led by Barnaby Chessell SC)
• 2023 – 2025 – Environment Protection Act 2017 cases in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and Supreme Court in relation to a waste-to-energy facility, a landfill, a waste transfer station, a composting facility and an abattoir
• 2023 – 2024 – Supreme Court negligence claim in relation to PFAS contamination (led by Elizabeth Bennett SC)
• 2023 – Advisory Committee in relation to a Planning and Environment Act 1987 and Heritage Act 2017 application
• 2022 – 2025 – Robbins Island Wind Farm appeals in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and Tasmanian Supreme Court (led by Michael O’Farrell SC)
• 2022 – Suburban Rail Loop East Inquiry and Advisory Committee (led by Adrian Finanzio SC)
• 2020 – 2023 – Court of Appeal and Supreme Court restrictive covenant claim (led by Tim North KC)
• 2020 – 2022 – Supreme Court compensation claim (led by Paul Connor KC)
• 2020 – Supreme Court claim in relation to noise nuisance/negligence (led by Jeremy Ruskin KC)
• 2019 – 2022 – Supreme Court and VCAT claims in relation to owners corporation/subdivision dispute (led by John Karkar KC)
• 2019 – 2020 – North East Link Inquiry and Advisory Committee and related Supreme Court appeal (led by Nick Tweedie SC/Jason Pizer SC)
• 2017 – Supreme Court appeal in relation to existing use rights (led by Chris Canavan QC)
• 2016 – 2017 – Court of Appeal and Supreme Court appeals in relation to the interaction between the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the Water Act 1989 (led by Nick Tweedie SC)
• 2016 – Supreme Court appeal in relation to the Forum Theatre (led by Susan Brennan SC)
• 2016 – Melbourne Metro Rail Project Inquiry and Advisory Committee (led by Adrian Finanzio SC)
• 2015 – Supreme Court appeal in relation to a heritage site (led by Nick Tweedie SC)
• 2015 – Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry (Rehabilitation Terms of Reference) (led by Lisa Nichols)
• 2013 – Supreme Court claim – Brookland Greens Estate/Casey Landfill class action, involving negligence and nuisance claims in relation to statutory authorities as well as contractual claims, and various interlocutory disputes in relation to pleadings, discovery and privilege (led by Albert Monichino QC)

Prior to coming to the Bar, Emma was:

• Associate to Justice Morris, then President of VCAT;
• Associate to Justice Byrne, then Principal Justice of the Commercial and Equity Division at the Supreme Court of Victoria;
• Associate to Justice Osborn, then Head of the Valuation, Compensation and Planning List at the Supreme Court of Victoria; and
• A solicitor and community legal education project manager at a Victorian environmental legal centre.  

In terms of extra-curricular activities Emma has:

• Volunteered for an environmental legal organisation in Myanmar in 2017;
• Volunteered at an environment organisation in Vanuatu in 2009-2010, also attending the 2009 international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen; and
• Interned at the Environment Defenders Office Northern Territory.

Emma is the current Chair of the Planning and Environment Section of the Commercial Bar Association.  She is a current member of the Victorian Planning and Environment Law Association and the Women Barristers Association.  Emma is a past member of the Victorian Bar Council, the Victorian Bar’s Climate Change and Environmental Law Panel, and the Victorian Bar’s South Pacific Education Committee.  She acts as an advocacy coach in Melbourne and Papua New Guinea.