Tara Hooper

Tara specialises in planning, environment, land acquisition and compensation, land valuation, and rating. She accepts briefs to appear and advise in matters across all levels of Victorian courts, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and Planning Panels Victoria.

Prior to joining the Bar, Tara was a solicitor in the Public Law group at Maddocks, where she represented claimants and statutory authorities in complex land acquisition disputes in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, including matters under the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986, the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act 2009 and Part 5 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Her practice also involved land valuation disputes under the Valuation of Land Act 1960 and rating matters under the Local Government Act 1989.

Tara also gained extensive statutory planning experience as a town planner in local government. In that role, she assessed a diverse range of urban and rural applications, including large subdivisions, residential, commercial and industrial projects, as well as those involving complex issues related to bushfire planning, native vegetation, existing use rights, restrictive covenants, and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

She commenced her legal career in the United States and was a planning attorney at a leading firm in Miami, Florida, where she represented developers of some of South Florida's largest commercial and residential projects.

Tara read with Jennifer Trewhella and her senior mentor is Paul Connor KC.