MBM Legal + Conveyancing

About Us

Martin Ball

SOLICITOR PRINCIPAL

 

Martin has more than 26 years’ experience in legal practice, in the areas of planning, property development, local government, environmental, administrative, construction, property and commercial law. He is experienced in both transactional and litigation work in these areas.

For some 20 of those years Martin has been in private practice, as an employed solicitor and as a partner; and the remaining 6 years have been spent in in-house roles in local government, most recently as Acting General Counsel for the Central Coast Council. Over that period Martin has acted for many developer and government clients and has a thorough understanding of the complex planning system in New South Wales. Martin has represented clients in dozens of matters before the Land and Environment Court, dealing with a very broad range of merits appeals, judicial review and civil enforcement matters and prosecutions.

Martin also has extensive experience in other courts and tribunals, dealing with commercial disputes. He has a comprehensive knowledge of extensive legislation relevant to property development and planning law, including the Local Government Act, Environmental Planning & Assessment Act, Protection of the Environment Operations Act,

He has advised both private sector and government clients as to a wide variety of strategic and operational matters over many years.

Formal Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy and Modern Languages), (First Class) Oxford University (Exeter College) 1986
  • Bachelor of Legal Studies, Macquarie University 1993
  • Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 1994

Experience - Government Sector

Martin has advised and acted for local government clients across the range of their functions for more than 20 years, both in private practice and as in-house lawyer. Prior to joining the former Wyong Shire Council shortly prior to the formation of the Central Coast Council, Martin was a senior solicitor with Local Government Legal and prior to that, Martin was in-house solicitor at Newcastle City Council for some 3 years. During his time in these positions he gained invaluable insight into the internal operations of councils both administratively and politically. His government clients over the past 20 years have included:

    • Central Coast Council
    • Newcastle City Council
    • Port Stephens Council
    • Maitland City Council
    • Former Great Lakes Council
    • Singleton Council
    • Muswellbrook Shire Council
    • Upper Hunter Shire Council
    • Lake Macquarie City Council
    • Cessnock City Council
    • Former MidCoast County Council
    • Hunter Development Corporation
    • Hunter Water Corporation
    • Newcastle Port Corporation
    • Regional Land Management Corporation

Experience - Private Sector

Martin has of course also acted for a wide range of private sector clients in both commercial and litigious matters over the past 20 years, including in the sphere of planning law and property development, prior to making a move to a government in- house role approximately 9 years ago.
With his more recent years of experience “on the inside” of local government, he is looking forward to putting that knowledge and understanding to work to help you achieve your property development objectives, whether through legally sound and pragmatic advice, negotiation on your behalf, or, if necessary, using the court processes.

REPORTED CASES

Browse some examples in which Martin has acted for a party

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Memberships & Positions

Law Society of New South Wales

Interests

Martin lives in the Lake Macquarie area. His interests outside the law are many and varied, from bee keeping to motorbike racing. He will happily talk to you about either at length for no charge.