Our People
Craig Barnes
Principal
Craig Barnes is a Registered Surveyor and a founding partner of Landsas.
He was a senior executive and operational manager of Crown land for over 20 years and has extensive experience in public land management and administration, aboriginal land claim assessment and negotiation, Native Title, reserve management planning, land development and negotiation with the public and private sector.
He has developed a fundamental capacity to isolate key issues of the constraints and difficulties of public land management and a broad experience in the operational management and administration of vast land portfolios.
Craig played a pivotal role in the transformation of Crown land management in NSW, being responsible for the development of business centres, financial vehicles, governance mechanisms and the expansion of environmental and commercial expertise.
He has significant experience in process re-engineering, project management, change management and strategic planning, business development and organisational transformation.
Craig led negotiations on behalf of the State Government with the Lakkari people to deliver the first section 31 agreement in the resolution of Native Title.
Craig has a broad experience in the development of Plans of Management for State and Local Governments with generic and site-specific application and under various legislative controls.
Brett Phillips
Principal
Brett Phillips is a founding partner of Landsas and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
He is a former senior government executive with is most recent position being Director of Strategic Projects for the Department of Primary Industry – Lands. In this role Brett was responsible for the management of the Department’s state-wide leasing, sales and extractive industry program. While in this role he was instrumental in adding a more commercial focus to the leasing and sales program, the development of new policy and development of new commercial leasing templates.
Brett is a qualified value and has been instrumental in negotiating the standard valuation processes with the Industry for determining Caravan Park rental valuations.
Brett has also spent time working at Wyong Council heading up their property and economic development section and was the inaugural General Manager of the Central Coast Development Corporation. While in these roles Brett was instrumental in securing new development opportunities via leasing and sale of land. While at the Development Corporation he directly oversaw the development of a major urban renewal master-plan for the Gosford City Centre and concept development plan for the Gosford waterfront. Prior to this Brett held other senior management and executive positions in Crown Lands for over 10 years.
During his working career Brett has forged strong industry partnerships and contacts within both the Caravan and Camping Industry and Boating Industry Association. He is able to bring a unique understanding of the knowledge required by the private sector to execute high level commercial property deals with all levels of government.
Craig McGaffin
Director of Planning
Craig is a qualified town planner, completing his degree at the University of NSW and University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he is a lawyer admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of NSW and has over 25 years experience in the property industry.
He has worked as a Project Director with a significant Hunter Region developer and as a Senior Development Manager with Project Management firm, APP. Whilst at APP, Craig was Chairman of the Wollongong Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel.
Craig has also worked as a Senior Associate at the Newcastle office of National Law Firm Sparke Helmore in the Planning, Environment and Local Government practice group. During his time with Sparke Helmore, he provided advice to Local and State Government authorities and private clients in relation to most aspects of environmental and planning law.
Vanessa Field
Associate
Vanessa Field is one of the State’s pre-eminent experts in relation to property law in general and Native Title in particular.
Having spent 10 years as the principal lawyer managing Native Title issues for the State she has advised the Attorney General, other Ministers and the Executive of various government departments on all aspects of native title law and policy including Crown lands, aboriginal land rights, property, planning, mining, natural resources, National Parks, cultural heritage, pipelines, compulsory acquisition, evidence, copyright and telecommunications.
Vanessa has been the NSW representative on the Council of Australian Government’s Investigation into Indigenous Land Use, the Senior Officer’s Native Title Ministers’ Meetings, the Federal Court’s User Group to discuss the interaction between the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 and the National Native Title Tribunal State meetings.
Vanessa has a strong experience in Native Title negotiation and has lead the teams responsible for the recent multi-party native title resolutions covering tens of thousands of crown land parcels including the Barkandji People and Yaegl People consent determinations, which were resolved within strict court deadlines - practically and with the agreement of all parties.
Adrian Harte
Associate
Adrian Harte is a proven technical expert in soil science and soil survey and over a long career demonstrated success a director and senior manager with a range of major state agencies and the private sector. He has attained broad technical, legal and policy knowledge and experience in the key areas of natural resource management (land, soil, water, biodiversity) across lands of all tenures in NSW and interstate.
Adrian has been the Chair and Convenor of the NSW Soils Policy Working Group and established and directed the Landscape Services Centre in Dubbo. He has developed and implemented key natural resource management policy, planning, strategy, investment and delivery, over a large range of rural landscapes and communities.
Adrian successfully worked in politically and socially sensitive environments through developing, mentoring, and coaching large multidisciplinary teams, and hands-on facilitation and consultation with impacted communities. He developed and coordinated the process for the assessment of the state’s Travelling Stock Reserves. This involved convening and facilitating input from environmental groups, aboriginal lands councils, drovers, local government and Livestock Health and Pest Authorities.
Adrian has a broad experience in the development of land management plans including Plans of Management for Local Governments.