A town planning consultant can help you right from the beginning of your development project. We offer expert advice, liaise with other consultants, assess your application against state and local regulations, and prepare your council planning application before lodgement.

While any person, regardless of qualifications can submit a development application to Council, the process can be confusing. We assist by simplifying the extensive rules and regulations into bite sized pieces to allow you to make informed decisions on how to develop your land.

Town planners can also assist in avoiding unnecessary delays or costs by providing up-front advice prior to the purchase of a property. We help you to understand the likelihood of success and risks associated with purchasing a property for particular development.

Due to the nature of our work, we are a “jack of all trades”. This means we are required to have a broad understanding of the following professions in order to provide you with advice –

• Designer
• Building certifier
• Surveyor
• Civil engineer
• Hydraulic engineer
• Heritage architect
• Ecologist

Town planning consultants work with all the parties involved in a development project – noting that not all projects will require input from all of the above consultants. We use our expertise to give your proposal the best possible chance of success.

Property development can be extremely rewarding – when done right. But the process is challenging because there are many rules and regulations.

Although you have big opportunities, you must also be aware of the limitations. Understanding both sides of the coin is vital for success when seeking planning permission.

Here are five principal benefits of using a town planner:

1. Applications made easy

A town planning consultant helps with compliance, assessment and paperwork. We assess your application against state and local regulations, which is daunting and time-consuming without the proper knowledge and experience. A town planner simplifies the application process for you.

2. Positioning for approval 

Developments need to meet health, safety, and environmental standards and comply with other regulations for approval. Getting approval quickly takes experience and expertise. A town planner removes the guesswork and ensures your application meets the requirements, positioning your application for approval.

3. Cost-effectiveness

You want to avoid paying unnecessary fees and expenses. A town planning consultant will work around your budget. We liaise with local authorities and other experts such as arborists or architects, helping you with cost-effective solutions.

4. Comprehensive services

You get more than “town planning” advice when using a town planner. We can help with pre-purchase advice, due diligence, house extensions, carports, subdivisions, and more. Including assessing and preparing applications, town planning consultants collaborate with other experts, help with budgeting, advise on timeframes, and identify potential problems.

5. Save time and money

A town planner helps with applications and liaises with other experts on your behalf. This means you can quickly get your development project up and running. We also help speed up the approval process and ensure all paperwork is submitted correctly. You don’t need to worry about costly resubmission fees for failed applications. Town planning consultants save you time and money on mistakes as well. Our knowledge and experience help you identify and avoid any errors that may lead to longer delays or costly redesigns.

Developing a property involves key town planning stages. We can break them down into three separate phases:

1. Pre-application advice
2. Town planning reporting
3. Council liaison and on-going services

1. Pre-application advice

Seeking the advice of a town planning consultant is important during the pre-application or pre-purchase stage of your project. If you want to change the use of a site or build a development, we recommend getting advice early. Assessing your proposal against the current controls helps you determine if your project is feasible.

Town planners have relevant background knowledge and understanding of the local government requirements. We can guide you before lodging an application to Council, highlighting potential obstacles and stopping you from submitting a proposal with a low approval chance.

Town planners can also organise a meeting with Council to gauge its perspective of your application. We help determine if Council will support the application in its current form or if changes are needed before submission.

2. Town planning reporting

Town planners can meet with your designer to review your application. We can prepare a detailed town planning report assessing your proposal against state and local regulations.

During this process, we act as the single point of contact. We ensure all sub-consultant reports and plans align with the latest set of architectural drawings and the town planning report.

We provide as much detail as possible so that Council has enough information to make an informed decision on your application. The town planning report along with other important documentation will then get lodged with Council.

3. Council liaison and on-going services

After your application has been submitted, a town planning consultant acts as the go-between among the relevant parties and Council. They relay information back to the client, architect and others involved in the project to ensure everyone is informed throughout the process.

The cost of town planning can vary subject to the detail of your project and number of constraints affecting the site. Our fees below don’t include additional costs including council fees, infrastructure charges, and any supporting information from consultants (reports or plans) that you may also need.

Site investigation – Overview $400

Site investigation is extremely valuable prior to purchasing a property. This lets you know the potential for developing the site. If you want to understand what you can do with the property you already own, we can also assist with an overview of the potential of your property.

Site investigation – Detailed – $660

Beyond the overview site investigation, this delves deeper into the development potential of a property.

Subdivision – Advice – $400

This includes a review of a site or potential site. We advise on Council requirements including minimum lot sizes and planning implications. We can also provide an initial guide on anticipated yield, advising of potential risks for seeking alternate lot sizes (i.e. non-compliance with Council requirements).

Subdivision – Reconfiguring a lot – from $3,000

If you need a development application for a subdivision, boundary realignment, access easement or a form of reconfiguring a lot for a development that is less than 10 lots, this is the option for you.

Large scale subdivision – Prices vary

We have prepared development applications for large scale subdivisions in excess of 280 lots.  We understand the process for coordinating consultants and reporting for these large scale projects.

Industry and commercial development – Prices vary

Due to the varied nature and scale of industrial and commercial activities, we provide quotes on a case-by-case basis. Please email or call to discuss your project further and allow us to provide a tailored quote. We do not charge to prepare fee quotes. 

Houses and extensions – Advice – $200

This includes a review of up to two sets of plans for a house or house extension to determine whether or not a development application is required. If an application is triggered but could be avoided, we will also provide guidance on how to avoid an application (if possible).

Houses and extensions – Siting variation – $800 

This is otherwise known as a concurrence agency response from Council.  We can assist by preparing and lodging the request to Council, managing any requests for additional information and reviewing the decision.

Small scale house extension – $2,700

If you need a development application for a small scale extension including a carport, deck, garage, secondary dwelling, or other small scale extension, we can assist.

Residential – New house or substantial non-compliance – $3,000

Need a development application for a new house? Or do your proposed extensions have substantial non-compliance with the planning scheme? This option will benefit you.

Residential – Change to existing approval – Prices vary

After you receive your development approval there is a period (20 business days) called the applicant appeal period where you can make changes and request a negotiated decision.

Residential – Extension of time for approval – $500

There are standard periods for development approvals. In order to extend this timeframe you need to make a written request to Council to extend the currency period.

Find out more about our service fees.