Dr Marcus Spiller is a founding Partner at SGS. Formally qualified in commerce and urban planning, he has more than 40 years’ experience in public policy analysis as an urban economist. Marcus’s expertise covers metropolitan planning and governance, housing policy, infrastructure funding, creative sector policy and the productivity of cities and regions.

Throughout his career, Marcus has undertaken numerous secondments and part time appointments, which have allowed him to expand his understanding of policy making and implementation at all levels of government.

Jo Noesgaard is a planner with a drive to shape communities that are accessible and equitable for all. Jo joined SGS after a successful career in Victorian Local Government. She has a deep knowledge of social planning, community health and wellbeing, infrastructure and services planning and housing policy and has qualifications in public health and urban planning and environment.

Terry Montebello is a Law Institute of Victoria accredited expert in the areas of environment, land, planning, and local government law, and has been since October 1993.

Having practised in the area of planning law for over 30 years, Terry’s areas of practice include all facets of planning law; statutory planning, strategic planning, environmental law, and planning scheme amendments. He regularly appears before Planning Panels Victoria (PPV), Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), and government advisory committees. He is a skilled advocate and widely recognised as one of the most senior lawyers in the planning and environment jurisdiction in Victoria.

In addition, Terry is acknowledged as one of the leading lawyers in the field of growth area planning, having appeared in many panels concerning growth areas. As a result, he has particular expertise across the full spectrum of issues that arise in planning growth areas; infrastructure funding and development contributions, public open space funding, transport planning, cultural heritage, drafting schedules for VPP planning controls for effective implementation of Precinct Structure Plans, and drafting s 173 agreements for a wide variety of planning matters.

Terry also appears in a wide range of other planning panels dealing with issues such as Public Open Space strategy implementation, Cultural Heritage Review Implementation, Activity Centre Planning and Public Acquisition Overlay implementation.

Jess Buckley is an urban planner who believes in cities and public spaces that are inclusive, equitable, healthy and sustainable. She specialises in strategic and social planning and is currently the content commissioner for LGIU Australia.