All About Town Planners in Australia

All Your Questions Answered

Are you a property owner considering making alterations or developing your property, and have been told you need a Town Planner to help you get the right council approvals in place? Or, perhaps you are looking at buying a property or starting a business, but need the proper approvals and don’t know where to start.

You may never have dealt with a Town Planner and don’t know where to start or what to look for.  Don’t worry; this article has been written to help you understand what Town Planners do, and how they can help you with your Development Application.

Choose from the Table of Contents Below:

• Key Takeaways
• What Does a Town Planner Do?
• What are the risks of not using a Town Planner – Top 4 Risks
• What is the difference between a Town Planner, an Urban Planner and an Architect?
• Should I talk to a Town Planner before buying a Property?
• Do I need a Town Planner?
• How to Choose a Good Town Planner – Top 4 Skills
• How Much Does a Town Planner Cost in Australia
• Why Choose Us?

Before we get into the nitty gritty, you may want to watch the video below, in which our CEO, Colin Fragar, discusses what Town Planners do and how we can help you.

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Time and time again, we are able to create literally hundreds of thousands of dollars for our clients because we have found a town planning loophole…

Key Takeaways

• • • A Town Planner is extremely beneficial to assist with the preparation of development documents for council approval.
    • Not using a Town Planner can leave you open to these Top 4 Risks:
      • Non-Acceptance and Rejection
      • Missed Opportunities
      • Wasting Money
      • Unwanted Stress and Frustration
    • Before purchasing a property, a Town Planner can help you understand its true value by knowing its potential.
    • Engaging a Town Planner is essential if you want to maximise the potential of your property.
    • Not all Town Planners are the same. The top 5 skills to look for include:
      • Problem-Solving Skills
      • Technical/Analytical Skills
      • Communication and Project Management Skills
      • Detail Oriented
    • The cost of a Town Planner largely depends on the value they provide, combined with the scope of the project

What Does a Town Planner Do?

Town Planners, sometimes known as urban planners, can either work for the Council to approve Development Applications or as consultants helping clients/developers seeking development approval to develop property. 

Town planning requires these individuals to understand local policies and how developments impact the environment, traffic, and surrounding communities. Understanding these needs significantly impacts development approvals. 

Taking on any development requires considerable effort and investment, so it’s important to realise that every decision you make can impact the overall outcome of your project.

What are the Risks of not using a Town Planner?

It may seem like a good idea to save your hard-earned money and instead use this capital to invest in getting your desired finishes. You may even feel confident in navigating the application process yourself. Before doing this, you should understand the risks of not using a Town Planner.

There’s still a large number of people who think that they can achieve the approval by themselves. They try to figure out the legislation, they spend hours deliberating over the different rules that are applied to their property, but they miss one thing and then they spend money on plans. Gets to the council, and it gets refused – Colin Fragar

Top 4 Risks of Not Using a Town Planner

Non-Acceptance & Rejection:

Not supplying all the necessary documentation can lead to significant and costly delays. Unless all documents are provided, some councils will not even accept the application into their system. An application should be strategically prepared, with enough supporting documents to help mitigate objections and reduce your chance of costly delays. 

Missed Opportunities:

If you do not understand what is possible, you may not have considered all the available alternatives to get the highest and best use from your property development.

Wasting Money:

Town Planners provide architects with crucial information during the design phase. Without a Town Planner’s guidance, plans risk not meeting compliance standards and, therefore, being rejected.

Stress and Frustration:

The development process is complex and time-consuming; navigating these complexities without professional know-how can cause financial problems and friction among stakeholders.  

What is the difference between a Town Planner, an Urban Planner and an Architect?

As mentioned, a Town Planner is the same profession as an urban planner; they help guide designs, prepare documentation for developments and prepare development applications for council approval.

There is however a difference in planners who work for council and consultant Town Planners. Planners who work for the council (it is their job to tell you what you can’t do and assess applications) and consultant Town Planners work for you (it is their job to represent your application and find opportunities to improve your properties potential).

On the other hand, an architect works strictly on designing buildings to ensure that the design and structural integrity work seamlessly to create a functional building fit for purpose.

So they work together, but they have very, very different functions. And, in our case, working together is proving to be very beneficial – Max Fragar

Ideally, a Consultant Town Planner and Architect would work together to ensure that designs are compliant and fit for purpose. There is no point creating designs with an architect that can’t be built because they don’t meet the stringent criteria stipulated by your local Council.

Should I talk to a Town Planner before Buying a Property?

Yes, you should absolutely consider consulting a Town Planner before buying a property, regardless of whether you are buying it to develop or live in.

Town Planners understand the property’s potential and, therefore, the value the property holds. 

So many times, in the initial consultation, people say, “Oh, I wish we’d known you before we bought this property” – Max Fragar

Whilst you may not be considering further development yourself, a property that offers further opportunities (for example, the ability to subdivide, build a second dwelling or add a granny flat) will hold higher value when it comes to selling the property in the future.

Do I need a Town Planner?

Yes, if you’re seeking to develop a property, a Town planner can help avoid costly time delays and other problems that may arise during the approval process. Ultimately, a Town Planner will maximise your chance of receiving an approval and improve your investment potential.

The Town Planner will work with the Architect, will work with the Council Planner, and will work with you – Max Fragar

Many people go to an architect or draftsman to create plans based on their wishes without seeking guidance from a Town Planner. Not consulting a Town Planner is a very risky manoeuvre! Without a clear understanding of the zoning laws, plans are often submitted and denied.

A consultant Town Planner works alongside the client to guide the architect in managing expectations and strategising possible solutions based on desired outcomes to get the best result.

An example is one of my own personal projects. We recently bought a corner lot property which we thought we could just get a secondary dwelling on. It in fact turned out to be one we could subdivide using a dual occupancy. It didn’t meet the requirements of council but we were able to get it through because we had experience in the field – Colin Fragar

By understanding the legislation, they ensure that Plans meet requirements, all the correct paperwork is submitted, and any conflicts that may derail an approval are addressed. Addressing these issues ultimately makes the approval process easier for the council officer, ensuring a more likely approval.

How to Choose a Good Town Planner – Understand Skills

Considering your investment size and expected returns, engaging a good Town Planner is crucial to improve the return on investment.

Choosing an experienced team of Town Planners who work together means you will get the breadth of knowledge and experience to solve your problem, particularly if your project is complex.

They’ll be able to find the highest and best use. And not only that, once it gets into council, they’ll then push your project forward – Colin Fragar

Below, we will share the 4 top skills a good Town Planner has so you know what to look for. 

Top 4 Town Planning Skills

Problem-Solvers:

An average Town Planner will likely play by the rules; they won’t consider ways to extend your investment further and will likely write a simple report.

A good Town Planner, on the other hand, will think of and suggest alternative solutions that you may not have considered. They will have great problem-solving skills and won’t necessarily stop at the first problem they encounter; instead, they will look for loopholes to solve issues and find ways to improve your development. 

Their job is to depart from local planning rules to be able to find those departures which allow you, for example, to have a larger dwelling, a smaller lot size, and all of those different things are incredibly important – Colin Fragar

For example, they may find ways to depart from the minimum lot size, building height, floor space ratio, etc., to get your property’s highest and best use.

Technical & Analytical:

A good Town Planner looks at the problem holistically. In other words, they deeply understand planning laws and balance those with data analysis of land use to consider environmental impact, sustainability, economic factors, and trends to guide and implement effective plans that positively impact communities.

Furthermore, they will be familiar with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which helps with data analysis and the visualisation of plans.

Communicators & Project Planners:

At some point, we have all had the experience of asking a lawyer, accountant, or doctor to understand a complex problem and having them explain the situation using impossible jargon—leaving you more confused than you started. Instead of feeling relieved with an understanding, you will be more confused than you were to begin.

Similarly, you may have also had a question answered by an expert who explained it in simple, easy-to-understand language, leaving you feeling like an expert. A good Town Planner explains complex issues effortlessly.  

Our Planner understands the language and talks the language with the Council Planner. But will talk with you in a way that you understand – Max Fragar

They also listen to your needs and desired outcomes to advise you on progress and plan your project effectively. These communication skills are crucial for building strong relationships with all stakeholders, including the Council.

Detail-Oriented:

Small things can have a big impact on the success and outcome of your project. A good Town Planner will comb through and assess plans to find faults and ensure that time is not wasted on plans that will likely be refused.

They will ensure that the plans submitted comply with development standards. 

At times, desires will require the planner to be creative and push the boundaries of what is possible. A good Town Planner will always rise to the challenge.

If plans don’t completely comply with required standards, they will preempt these and find openings to defend the position of the application’s success by supplying enough detail to ensure the Council strongly considers the application.

Projects like this may receive a Request for Further Information (RFI), which should be seen in a positive light as this means the project is progressing. A good Town Planner will interpret what is needed (and what is not) to help the Council validate their decision.

Your Town Planner must be effective with the above skills, as they will represent you and the likelihood of a successful outcome with the Council.

How Much Does a Town Planner Cost in Australia?

The cost of a Town Planner in Australia varies depending on the job’s requirements, and most will estimate a quote based on the expected hourly rate.

Once we’ve done our early assessment, we will know what the planner will cost and we will know what other parts of the project are important – Max Fragar

The question you need to ask when considering the cost Town Planner is the value the Town Planner adds. 

You will want to choose a good Town Planner who has experience. Choosing a Town Planner who works with other Town Planners means you can tap into a team of knowledge and specialists to help you solve specific problems relevant to your particular application.

Whilst using a Town Planner is a big investment, I am sure you are starting to understand their value. We would love to help you eliminate some of the stress from your development.

We have experience over multiple project types, so whether your project is commercial, industrial, residential or rural, we offer a free consultation with one of our property consultants to get you started. During the consult you can decide whether we are a good fit for you. If so, we have team of in-house Consultant Town Planners and Architects servicing clients throughout New South Wales, Victoria and South East Queensland.

Click the button below to take advantage of this offer and receive a copy of our magazine. 

 

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Why Choose Us?

Choosing the wrong Town Planner could also cost you valuable time and money, missed opportunities, rejection, and, dare we mention, the stress and frustration a project can cause.

We would love to help you through your development journey.