For any development to seamlessly navigate council laws, a Town Planner’s expertise is crucial. Town Planners understand the ins and outs of council regulations, processes and costs. This invaluable knowledge will inevitably save you on time and money throughout the different stages of your development project.
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WHAT DOES A TOWN PLANNER OR CONSULTANT DO?
STAGES OF TOWN PLANNING AND ASSOCIATED CHARGES
HOW MUCH DOES A DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION COST?
DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT AND COMPLIANCE FEES
OLEARIA TOWN PLANNING FEES AND SERVICES
WHAT DOES A TOWN PLANNING CONSULTANT DO?
A Town Planning consultant works on behalf of a developer or landowner to advise and assess their development idea and plan. Town Planning consultants are highly skilled professionals in developing strategies and reports from their assessments on a proposed development to ensure the best outcome is made to get approval from the local council.
A Town Planner can assist in more than one type of development including simple house extensions, subdivisions, commercial and industrial properties to more complex developments like multi-dwelling and multi-use towers in the CBD.
As well as assessing and advising on the development proposal, Town Planner’s work alongside local Councils in accordance with the council’s rules, regulations and requirements for developments, this is called the Planning Scheme. Town Planning consultants are well educated in the standards required for both small and large developments from the local council.
Town Planning consultants will work with a developer and other required consultants to show the local council that the associated codes and requirements are being met and addressed through the development report. If the report shows a contradiction to the Planning Scheme requirements, Town Planners are able to justify why this code or requirement is not met and manage the report and council through a decision process and ultimately ensure a smoother process to the approval for development.
Once a development proposal has been assessed, Town Planners act on behalf of the developer to coordinate the different consultants required such as:
- Architects
- Landscape architects
- Surveyors
- Civil engineers
- Traffic engineers
STAGES OF TOWN PLANNING AND ASSOCIATED CHARGES
- Advice At The Pre-application Stage – Whether you are a regular property developer or it is your first time developing, it is important you seek the advice of a Town Planning consultant during the pre-application stage of your project. If you are planning to change the use of a site or build a development, seeking advice from a Town Planner early on regarding your proposal against the current controls will assist you to determine if your project is feasible. Town Planners are equipped with the relevant background knowledge and understanding of the local government requirements and will be able to advise you on the changes before an application is lodged to the Council.
If there are foreseeable obstacles with your project, they will be able to highlight these to prevent you from submitting a proposal which may not be favourable for approval. Town Planning consultants where necessary can also organise a meeting with a Council planner to gauge Council’s perspective of your application and if it could be possible to be supported in its current form or if changes are required prior to the lodgement of your application. To discuss your specific requirements for pre-application and the associated charges with our town planning advice services contact us for a quote.
At Olearia Town Planning, our advisory services include:
- Pre-purchase advice
- Due diligence
- Highest and best use analysis
- Response to show cause/enforcement
- Town planning advice
- Pre Lodgement meetings
- Town Planning Report Stage – Town Planners can meet with your designer to review your application and then prepare a detailed town planning report assessing your proposal against the Local and State policies. During this process, they will also act as the single point of contact to ensure that all sub-consultant reports and plans align together with the latest set of architectural drawings and the town planning report.
An experienced Town Planner can assist you to provide as much detail as possible to ensure that the Council Town Planner has enough information to make an informed decision on your application. The town planning report along with other important documentation will then be lodged to Council.
To discuss your specific requirements during the town planning stages and the associated charges with our town planning services, contact us for a quote.
- Liaising with Council and on-going services – After your application has been submitted, a Town Planning consultant will act as the go-between among the relevant parties and Council. They will relay information back to the client, architect and others involved in the project to ensure that everyone one is up to date throughout the whole process.
If the Council planner requires further information about the planning permit application, they will prepare a written response to the applicant requesting for further information. Using the services of a Town Planning consultant to run the application via the Council process is beneficial as they can review the items requested by Council and their preliminary concerns and translate them into a language that the client, the architect and sub-consultants will understand. The planning consultant will then collate all the required information into one document and prepare a response to the Council planner regarding the further information that they requested.
During this stage, the planning consultant will also be able to assist you throughout the public notice stage and review and respond to any objections or address any other concerns from the Council planner.
To discuss your specific requirements for liaising with the council and the associated charges with ongoing town planning services contact us for a quote.
Remember, the goal of the Town Planning consultant is to ensure that you receive the best result on your development application.
HOW MUCH DOES A DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION COST?
A Development Application (DA) is a formal request to build or carry out development within a Local Government Area (LGA). A DA is made up of forms and documents that show the merits of your project and how it adheres to local, state and federal building requirements.
This includes:
- Site plans
- Architectural plans
- Independent reports
- A statement from you as to whether you have made any political contributions to the local council.
Getting your development application over the line can be the most challenging part of the development process because housing is a highly regulated industry in Australia.
Anyone looking to develop residential property in Australia must comply with legislation from all levels of government, but mostly from the local council. This is because the council is usually required to implement state and federal building regulations at a local level, and in doing so has the authority to develop local policies that relate to development.
This means the council will determine if your plans meet the criteria, zoning requirements, laws, policies and legislation of the local area, and, more importantly, it will decide whether you can go ahead with your development.
Submitting your DA can be confusing, especially if it is your first time. But help is available, and on the off chance that the circumstances of your application are not clear cut, it may end up being cheaper to pay an advisor than to try to do it all yourself. Requesting and making changes to a DA could cost you up to $2832 with Brisbane City Council.
A Town Planning consultant can help you do most of your due diligence and also assist with filling out forms and reports. Should you need to go to court for any reason, a Town Planning consultant can also represent your interests and project.
DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT AND COMPLIANCE FEES
For a full outline of the Brisbane City Council Development assessment and compliance fees 2020-21 click here. There you will be able to obtain information for development assessment fees for different development types including:
• Referral agency to building work under the Brisbane City Plan 2014
• Referral agency to building work under the Queensland Development Code
• Minor development
• Domestic development
• Demolition development
• Reconfiguration development
• Multiple dwellings
• Development assessment area charge.
Whether you are doing building work, reconfiguring a lot or making a material change of use, your development should fit into one of these categories.
OLEARIA TOWN PLANNING FEES AND SERVICES
Olearia Town Planning provides the Brisbane community with modern thinkers and trusted advisors who aim to provide each of their clients with a tailored approach to achieve their development objectives.
We specialise in preparing, lodging and managing development applications around Brisbane and throughout the whole of Queensland. Our aim is to deliver highly innovative, cost-effective solutions across a wide spectrum of services including:
- Industry Town Planning
- Commercial Town Planning
- Operational Work
- Subdivision
- Residential Services
- Advice Services
Our Fees
Below are our price guide services that Olearia Town Planning provide for sites in Queensland. The fees are indicative and may vary subject to the detail of your project and number of constraints affecting the subject site. The fees identified include any applicable GST, but do not include additional costs including Council Fees, infrastructure charges, and any supporting information from consultants (reports or plans) that may also be required.
- SITE INVESTIGATION – OVERVIEW $330
This investigation is extremely valuable prior to purchasing a property, or if you are wanting to understand what you can do with the property you already own, we can assist with an overview of the potential of your property. Find out more.
- SITE INVESTIGATION – DETAILED – $550
Beyond the overview site investigation, this will delve deeper into the development potential of a property. Find out more.
- SUBDIVISION – ADVICE – $330
This includes a review of a site or potential site and advice on the 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). Find out more.
- SUBDIVISION – RECONFIGURING A LOT – $2,000
If you require 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. Find out more.
- LARGE SCALE SUBDIVISION – Prices vary
We have experience in preparing 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. Find out more.
- INDUSTRY & 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 feel free to 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 – $220
This includes a review of up to two (2) 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). Find out more.
- HOUSES AND EXTENSIONS – SITING VARIATION- $440
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. Find out more.
- SMALL SCALE HOUSE EXTENSION – $1,500
If you require a development application for a small scale extension including a carport, deck, garage, secondary dwelling, or other small scale extension, we can assist. Find out more.
- RESIDENTIAL – NEW HOUSE OR SUBSTANTIAL NON-COMPLIANCE – $1,800
If you require a development application for a new house or your proposed extensions have substantial non-compliance with the planning scheme, this is the product for you. Find out more.
- 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. Find out more.
- RESIDENTIAL – EXTENSION OF TIME FOR APPROVAL – $330
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.
If you would like more information or would like to request a quote for our town planning services contact us at Olearia Town Planning.