Personal Experience

Tony is one of Victoria’s leading local government and public law legal advisors and leads Hunt & Hunt’s Melbourne office as Managing Principal.

Born in regional Victoria, Tony strives to maintain a down-to-earth and approachable manner. He introduced the Genuine People, Practical Solutions ethos to Hunt & Hunt, and believes that if you can’t explain something in simple terms you probably aren’t really an expert.

He delivers plain English advice with an eye for practical, timely and commercial outcomes.

Tony’s Clients & Work

Tony advises for more than 40 of the municipalities in Victoria providing advice on specific commercial, property and governance matters.  He brings the benefit of his own experience as an elected councillor having served two terms on the Shire of Nillumbik as Mayor and Councillor. He has also served on not-for-profit boards in the financial services and health sectors.

Tony often conducts both intensive training sessions for new councillors and follow up refresher sessions for both metropolitan and regional Councils.

In 2020/21, Tony conducted training sessions for councillors at Ararat, Banyule, Buloke, Brimbank, Central Goldfields, East Gippsland, Gannawarra, Golden Plains, Greater Shepparton, Knox, Mansfield, Maroondah, Mildura, Murrindindi, Northern Grampians, Port Phillip, Whitehorse and Wyndham Councils. In 2021/22, Tony conducted training sessions for Banyule, Darebin, Hepburn, Hume and Moira Councils.  In 2022/23, Tony conducted training for Baw Baw, Brimbank,  Campaspe, Macedon Ranges, Moira and Moyne Councillors.

So far in 2023/24, Tony has undertaken training of councillors at Central Goldfields, Corangamite, Gannawarra, Hobsons Bay, Horsham, Loddon, Manningham, Mildura, Moyne, Murrindindi, Northern Grampians, Whittlesea, Wyndham and Yarra Councils and is booked to undertake training sessions at several other councils in the near future.

Tony has also conducted numerous training sessions for council staff including in relation to specific legal areas and also more general probity and conflict of interest issues. Tony regularly serves as probity adviser in relation to key individual council procurement. He is also available for mentoring arrangements for Mayors, Councillors and senior council staff.

Tony’s Expertise & Experience

Tony is presently a contributing editor and chapter author for the Local Government Service – Victoria, Thomson Reuters. Tony also is also the Victorian representative on the editorial panel of the National Local Government Reporter (Lexis Nexis) and a regular contributor of articles.

Tony regularly appears as an expert panellist/guest speaker including being a key presenter in:

• VLGA Fastrack Leadership Panel (March 2024)
• VLGA Governance Advisory Network – Local Government Reforms Session (Feb 24)
• LGPro Local Government Reforms 2024 webinar (Feb 24)
• VLGA Governance Advisory Network Meeting (Sept 23)
• VLGA Connect Operation Sandon Special Edition (July 23)
• LGPro CEO/Director Forum (July 2023)
• LGPro Social Media Conference presenter (October 2022)
• VLGA Connect The Governance Update podcast – regular guest presenter
• Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Australia (September 2022)
• LGPro Executive Leadership Program (XLP) – Governance Module (June 2022)
• VLGA – Land Use Planning for Councillors (June 2022)
• Law Institute of Victoria Leadership in Law Roundtable (May 2022)
• LGPro Roundtable – Addressing the Skills Shortage (May 2022)
• VLGA Councillor FastTrack Program (April 2022)
• Hunt & Hunt Future Leaders Day (March 2022)
• Interlaw: Real Estate in Recovery – The New Normal in Supply & Demand (Feb 2022)
• Thomson Reuters: Rise of the Relationship Driven Law Firm (Oct 2021)
• TVEd – Mind the Gap: Beyond the Disclosure Obligations in Residential Property Purchases (Oct 2021)
• VLGA Election of a Mayor – More than just a title (Sept 2021)
• LGPro Procurement Special Interest Group (June 2021)
• Macquarie Bank Law (20)24 event (May 2021)
• VLGA – Election related integrity discussion (Sept 2020)
• VLGA – Election Regulations for Council Elections (July 2020)
• Self Storage Association of Australasia Annual Conferences (2019 and 2023)

Tony’s Other Life

Tony is a proud father of 4 successful, confident women and he and his wife, Susan, enjoy spending time with them, their sons-in-law and granddaughter most weekends.

Most weekday lunchtimes, Tony is found running along the Yarra River trail rain, hail or shine.  On weekends he is a keen cyclist in the countryside outside Melbourne where he lives or in the Central Highlands region of Victoria where he keeps a weekend house – yes, he has been to France to watch the Tour also!