Meet Our Team
So far we’ve helped more than 14,289 people achieve Council Approval & now we’d love to help you too.
Meet Our All-Star Team...
Today, after 25 years in business, our team of over 20 town planners, architects, and local government specialists have helped over 14,289 people navigate council approval. We have a collective 387 years of council approval history.
Our in-house team specialises in helping property and business owners like yourself navigate the approval process from any council.
People say there is no other firm in Australia that has the experience in dealing with local government approvals than we do.
We proudly continue the admirable and worthwhile quest and mission that Max Fragar envisioned when he started our consultancy all those years ago. You will find strength in the depth of our team and confidence in the breadth of our experience.
14,289
Projects
Complete
Complete
387 YRS
Of Experience
On Our Team
On Our Team
2.5 DAYS
How Often We
Get Approval
Get Approval
$250K
Average Value
Added to Clients
Added to Clients
Max Fragar
LIFE FELLOW PIA, REGISTERED PLANNER, FOUNDER
Max, the guru and head honcho, is our principal consultant. With over 50 years experience he is a Certified Practicing Planner and is one of Australia’s most experienced town planners.
Colin Fragar
CO-FOUNDER
Colin Fragar is a best selling author, graduate lawyer and experienced property developer, having purchased his first investment at age 19.
Tracy Kriesel
OPERATIONS MANAGER
With over a decade of experience in the property world, which includes working for the Australian Property Institute, Tracy has a wealth of knowledge and a love of all things property.
Tom Hutchison
TEAM LEADER / TOWN PLANNER
Tom has a vivid and logical understanding of the town planning rules associated with NSW planning law. He has a wealth of knowledge and adds phenomenal value to all projects he works on.
Ken Gerschler
TEAM LEADER / TOWN PLANNER
Ken is a highly experienced town planner having worked for small, medium and large local government entities in Australia and the United States spanning the breadth of the profession including strategic planning, development planning and social planning. You will find Ken to be friendly, helpful and knowledgeable as he works pragmatically to bring your development dream to fruition.
Giuseppe Calabrese
SENIOR ARCHITECT
Giuseppe is a registered architect in NSW with international experience. An award winner with a wide range of experience in all developments due to having worked previously for boutique firms and several major award winning firms across Sydney CBD. His in depth knowledge and experience with Council makes the approval process fast efficient and reliable.
Jane Kerr
TOWN PLANNER
Jane is a fully qualified town planner with over 18 years planning experience having worked at the local and state government levels in statutory, strategic, planning policy and research, planning law and heritage planning, in three states including New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.
Tania Van Dyk
TOWN PLANNER
Tania has worked in local government as a town planner for over 20 years in three countries. Her breadth of experience in assessment of development applications makes her a key asset to our consultancy and your team.
Anthony Peters
TOWN PLANNER
Anthony is a team player, someone we’re glad to have on our team, and certainly someone you’d want on yours. His 20 years of planning experience will attest to his willingness and ability to go the extra mile for his clients to get some pretty high flying results.
Elise Short
TOWN PLANNER
Elise is a town planner with over 10 years’ experience in local government and can help you navigate the planning puzzles that property and business development in NSW can face. She is passionate about achieving positive outcomes and is always seeking to learn new tips and tricks for your benefit.
Betsy Jackson
TOWN PLANNER
Betsy’s expert property experience and skills in this field are legendary. Betsy is zealous about helping people through the labyrinth of planning processes to achieve their property and business aspirations.
Lauren Corcoran
TOWN PLANNER
Lauren has over 8 years experience in local government planning, and as a Registered Certifier, she's able to offer insights into planning matters from a different perspective. She's most passionate about supporting our clients, removing the fear and confusion around the council approval process.
Sandy Guy
TOWN PLANNER
Sandy has over 12 years local government experience in Victoria. She is passionate about providing quality customer service, supporting clients to facilitate positive outcomes through their planning experience.
Julie Quinn
TOWN PLANNER
Julie is a driven and motivated town planner with a strong focus on client satisfaction. She joins Council Approval Group with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning and almost a decade of experience across NSW, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania.
Grace Butcher
TOWN PLANNER
Grace is a fully qualified Town Planner with a depth of experience having worked on a variety of commercial, government, mixed use and residential projects across Greater Sydney and broader New South Wales. She is most passionate about assisting clients through the complex planning system to transform their dreams into reality.
Kari Wheeler
TOWN PLANNER
Kari has over 20 years experience in both private and public sectors across the UK and Australia and has specialised in Heritage conservation in previous roles. She is passionate about providing positive outcomes for the built environment.
Thomas Dawes
BUILDING SURVEYOR - UNAUTHORISED WORKS SPECIALIST
Thomas is a qualified Building Certifier with over 6 years experience, including 4 years at local council. At Council Approval Group he lends his expertise in building code to help clients overcome issues pertaining to unauthorised works.
Anthony Potts
STATE MANAGER - CONSULTANT SERVICES
Anthony’s enterprise is fuelled by his motivation to debunk any town planning challenge. Creating a better world for his clients is his inspiration.
Emma McCallum
ON-BOARDING CONSULTANT
Emma has a wealth of experience globally in dealing with valuable clients from all walks of life. She understands the value of listening and takes great pride in using her skills to achieve great results for her clients. Her empathetic nature has become an asset to the company.
Teddy Hayek
ON-BOARDING CONSULTANT
Teddy thrives on assisting Australian's on their property journey. His passion for property and property development combined with an enthusiasm to achieve the best possible outcomes, helps our clients to reach their goals and dreams.
Tara Ormsby
ON-BOARDING CONSULTANT
Tara takes great pride and satisfaction working in an environment where she has the opportunity to help people. She believes understanding the reason why the project is so important to the client then enables their best interests to be at the heart of what we do.
Ojie Saldivar
ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTSMAN
A Computer Engineering Technology Graduate and Data Researcher, Ojie has been applying his skills as an Architectural Draftsman for over 5 years. Ojie's driven to deliver all-inclusive project plans to meet clients property needs.
Michael John Manalo
ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTSMAN
Michael is a passionate and creative architectural designer with 10 years experience in the design industry, along with international project experience.
Rey Diva
ENVIRONMENTAL MAPPING OFFICER
Rey's lends his expertise as our Environmental Mapping Officer, providing comprehensive EMC Reports on client properties for our Town Planning Team.
Emma Swete
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Emma is a media and marketing professional with over 10 years local and international experience. With a keen interest in property, she is focused on engaging and fostering genuine relationships with clients throughout their journey with us.
Stephanie Agass
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Stephanie is a brand marketing professional with over 12 years experience. She is passionate about property investment and home renovations, and driven to assist clients in recognising their properties potential and the pathways to make it happen.
Angelique Evedientes
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Angelique has been with the Council Approval Group for over 10 years, providing exceptional service for both our team and clients alike.
Harlem Bajamonde
CLIENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR
As our Client Support Coordinator, Harlem manages new and existing business enquiries and is always willing to go the extra mile for our clients.
Joseph Dulaca
SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Joseph is a key member of our Customer Support Team and is passionate about assisting our clients throughout their journey with us.
Spencer Tibungcog
CLIENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR
Spencer is driven to provide exceptional customer service, supporting our team and helping our clients through their Council Approval Group journey.
Marla Manalastas
ACCOUNTS MANAGER
Marla has a Master's Degree in Business Administration and over 8 years accounting experience. With a natural love of numbers, she takes care of all Council Approval Group Accounts.
We Make Council Approval as Easy as...
1
Claim Your FREE 30 Minute Consult with one of our Experts
2
Let’s Us Conduct a Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA)
3
We Prepare & Submit Your DA to Council with a 98%* Success Rate
To Get Approval, Call 1300 008 138 Now
Or click below to schedule a time to chat to our team