Town Planning

Why Us?

EXPERIENCE

Our large Town Planning team encompasses a range of experience and backgrounds, including State and Local Government, as well as private sector consulting. A large number of our planning team have more than 20 years of experience. Whether it be your project or career, we’ve got an experienced team to guide you!

TEAM APPROACH

We believe that knowledge and experience are best shared among the team. With regular team meetings, social events, and a belief in active mentoring, we maximise the opportunity for each team member to rapidly increase their skills. We workshop client projects early to ensure that the team with the best skillset is in place to drive it forward.

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY

Our Planning team have established strong relationships with a wide range of other consultancies you may require for your projects. Whether it is an architect, geotech, heritage, ecology, bushfire, acoustic, flooding, traffic, social/economic impact, or on-site waste consultant you need, we are able to put you in touch with the right people.

Service Offerings

Our Planning team is a growing force, with strong senior leadership overseeing a junior team that are eager to learn and grow. Unlike other Planning only companies, our Planners get exposure to all of our other service offerings and have a strong understanding of the wider development process. We ensure that this knowledge is utilised at the planning stage of the project.

Great Planners in our own right – second to none when engaged with service offerings from our other disciplines!

Due Diligence

Working with our Project Managers, Civil Engineers, and Surveyors, our team can offer expert advice at the due diligence stage of any project. Depending on the needs of the client, this typically will include early engagement with Local Government and State agencies, along with consideration of permissible uses under current zoning and/or opportunities for alternate uses via a rezoning.

Strategic Planning

We understand that Strategic Planning is not limited to the preparation of Planning Proposals in support of a rezoning. Strategic Planning, whether it be at the macro or the micro scale, begins well before any Planning Proposals, be they for a particular land holding, or an LEP review. With the depth of experience within our team, which includes significant Local Government and State Planning roles, we have the ability to work with our clients to deliver on long term strategies.

This experience also enables us to provide services to State and Local Government agencies who may require assistance with the planning and preparations of strategies intended to inform future strategic planning directions.

Planning Proposals (Rezoning)

We regularly work with clients to prepare planning proposals to rezone land for an alternate use or combination of uses. This is typically a lengthy and complex process, involving coordination and management of a wider sub-consultant team, stakeholder engagement, community consultation and advocacy – all of which is carried out in an ever changing political and legislative environment.

Our strength is our team’s ability to review and critique sub-consultant work to ensure alignment with the broader project objective, we are always willing to question recommendations given!

We stay abreast of ever-changing planning strategies to ensure our clients are well placed to understand potential benefits and negatives associated with policy shifts. Our team also have established relationships with key stakeholders in various Government agencies which is often of assistance throughout the planning proposal journey.

Development Applications

The NSW Planning system is extremely complex, and always evolving. Our team have the experience to enable us to guide you in determining the most appropriate Planning Pathway, whether it be for Local Development, Designated, State Significant, or an REF under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. We work closely with our clients to take into account all factors, including cost/financing, timing, risk factors, as well as the local political environment in determining the best Planning Pathway to be adopted in the particular circumstances.

Following lodgement with the relevant consent authority, we closely monitor progress of all applications, paying attention also to the prescribed periods for a potential Deemed Refusal appeal, should that option be warranted.

Planning
sustainable cities
for the future

Modifications

Many consents often require amendments due to a number of factors. This may be due to a change in ownership for the land, changed financial constraints, or required changes identified during construction. Our team are able to work efficiently with the client and any required sub consultants to prepare these proposals.

Section 7.11 Plans / Development Servicing Plans

The range of specialties within ADWJ, which include Civil and Structural Engineering, Survey, Project Management, Landscaping, and Urban Design means that our Planning team have access to many of the required inputs for the preparation of S 7.11 Contribution Plans and Development Servicing Plans (DSP). We work closely in identifying and costing the various items to be included in such plans, and also work closely with other consultants as required.

Development Control Plans

With many of our team having previous Local Government or State Planning experience, our team has vast experience in the preparation of Development Control Plans (DCP’s), whether it is part of a Planning Proposal, or working with Council to prepare the Plan.

Where required, our in-house Urban Design and Landscape Architecture teams can provide input into DCP preparation.

Part of your team

Our Town Planners work collaboratively with our urban design professionals to develop sustainably planned and community conscious developments. Our in-house disciplines and capabilities enable us to deliver a full-service package aligned to your needs. We are part of your team!

Voluntary Planning Agreements

We are able to work with our clients to guide them through the process of preparing a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA), utilising the full suite of services within ADWJ to ensure accurate costings, and ensuring a smooth process when negotiating with consent authorities and respective legal representation.

Plans of Management

Our team has extensive experience preparing Plans of Management (POMs) for public land for both local and state entities. Our specialist skills allow us to prepare these to achieve the best outcomes for the land manager, including ensuring that POMs are practical and robust, suitable to remain in place over a period of time.

Over 40 years of experience

at your fingertips

Review of Environmental Factors (REF)

Where legislation allows development without consent, this often will require that an REF be prepared to consider any environmental impacts. Infrastructure and public projects often fall into this category. We have vast experience in the preparation of REFs for these kinds of work throughout NSW and are familiar with working with a range of government agencies and their requirements.

Land and Environment Court

A testament to the experience and knowledge of our senior team is that many of our team have substantial experience as Expert Witnesses in the L&EC, representing clients across the full range of development types.

Community Consultation

Community consultation sessions are often sensitive environments, full of emotionally charged residents often opposing change in their backyards. Our team have extensive experience coordinating and hosting these events and can act on behalf of our clients’ best interests, whilst offering an open ear to listen and absorb the concerns of the community.