What Makes Our Town Planners The Best in The Business
Council Approval Group was founded by Max Fragar 30 years ago.
Max is a Life Fellow of the PIA and is one of a few Town Planners to achieve the new RP+ (EIA) accreditation.
Our team includes more than 20 highly experienced Town Planners, Property Consultants, Architects and Draftsmen, all handpicked for their expertise and track record.
Many of our Town Planners have previously worked for Council, giving them an insider’s edge, and are fluent in what we like to call “Councilese.”
Additionally, our Town Planners don’t work in silo, but in teams to discuss and provide you with the best available options.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or bogged down by endless paperwork to get your project off the ground, we’re here to lighten the load.
If you are not a Town Planner, understanding the jargon and dealing with the Council can be a nightmare (not to mention expensive), so why not give us a try?
It’s what we do, all day, every day!
50,000 +
People
Helped
Helped
387+ YRS
Collective
Experience
Experience
2.5 DAYS
How Often We
Get Approval
Get Approval
$500K
Potential Value
Added to Clients
Added to Clients
Case Study Examples
Eco Tourism Facility
Design & Approval
Project was on a constrained site to satisfy Clause 5.13. We led a planning assessment, managed RFIs, and designed a compliant masterplan (24 cabins, accessible hall, dining pavilion, parking & local-produce shop) before the DA was Approved.
Dual Occupancy
Design & Approval
Heritage conservation area with a neighbouring childcare centre constrained massing and façade options. We designed an attached dual occupancy which appears as a single dwelling to meet heritage and amenity controls to achieve the highest and best use for our client.
Multi Dwelling Development
Design & Approval
This project was on a steep and irregular site in NSW. After a Preliminary Planning Assessment, our Town Planners resolved access constraints and created a step design to fit into the natural surroundings. Approval has been granted for three dwellings, with the potential to add a fourth in the future.
Why Use a Town Planner?
1.
- Simplifying Planning Rules so you don’t have to spend countless hours trying to understand them.
- A Town Planner is the best professional to interpret the complex Town Planning legislation so that they can maximise the opportunities available to you and your site.
2.
-
Town Planners can manage all communication with your local council on your behalf, ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated journey for your project.
- Fostering positive relationships increases the likelihood of your development project’s successful outcome.
We Make Council Approval as Easy as...
1
Claim Your FREE 30 Minute Consult with one of our Property Consultants
2
Let’s Us Conduct a Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA)
3
We Prepare & Submit Your DA or CDC with a 98% Success Rate*
Risks of Not Using a Town Planner
There are many risks associated with not using a Town Planner for your project. We suggest that you contact one to guide the planning process. Simply relying on an architect or a draftsmen to interpret the council rules can be problematic and can lead to significant risks and challenges, including:
1.
Wasting Money:
A Town Planner provides architects with important information during the design phase. Plans may not receive development approval without a town planner’s guidance regarding council requirements.
2.Inefficient Land Use:
Inefficient Land Use:
Without a Town Planner, you may not understand your site’s full potential, which could seriously impact the returns on your investment.
3.Wasting Time:
Wasting Time:
Not understanding regulatory requirements could prompt further enquiries from the council, delaying the start of your project.
4.
Refusal:
Sometimes, submissions receive objections. However, Town Planners, with their understanding of the system, can often find ways to improve approval outcomes, giving you a better chance of success
As Seen In
Finally... Town Planners Who Get It
1.
Our Town Planners Used To Work for Council
Having worked for council means that our team speaks the same language as council staff, giving your project the best chance.
2.
Five decades of experience
Many of our Town Planners have decades of experience, including our Co- Founder Max Frager who is a Life Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia.
3.
Values
Founded on the shoulders of a father and son team, with values of integrity, respect & perseverance.
4.
Local knowledge
Many of our Town Planners are based in the suburbs of Sydney, Blue Mountains and regional NSW, so we can give you local knowledge.
5.
50,000+ Projects – We get results
We get results with council. After 50,000+ projects, that’s why they call us the “Council Approval Experts”.
6.
Fully experienced across a diverse range of projects
Having helped with over 50,000 projects, there isn’t a project that we haven’t had experience with.
7.
We make the path smooth
Leave the challenge of dealing with local government to the experts
8.
We push the boundaries
By challenging the expectations of our industry we believe we can redefine the value that we offer.
Just Some of The 50,000 Properties We Have Advised on to Date...
Town Planner Questions (FAQ's)?
Click the question to reveal the answers you need...
A Town Planner (also called an Urban or Regional Planner) helps to bring your vision to life by helping you receive council approval for your development. They
To do this, they:
- Analyse zoning maps and overlays to guide plans for submission
- Help prepare and submit development and planning applications
- Help coordinate specialist reports if required, such as bushfire, flood, heritage, etc, reports.
- Negotiate and supply to requests from the Council (for example, Requests for Information (RFI’s))
Essentially, Town Planners translate your ideas into a language that the council understands and can approve.
Australia has no national licensing system, so councils look for planners who are accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). The PIA holds a list of accredited Town Planners on a tiered system as follows:
- MPIA (Full Member)
Must be a qualified practitioner, hold a Town Planning degree, have a minimum of 2 years of experience and 20 hours of continuous development. - RPIA (Registered Planner)
This level is considered the gold standard of competence, requiring a minimum of 5 years of experience. To qualify, candidates must complete a written assessment and an interview assessment across six core competency areas. - RP+ (EIA) Extra Environmental Impact credential
A planner must already be RPIA-accredited and complete the EIA module, along with an interview with the panel. - LFPIA (Life Fellow)
Life Fellow is the PIA’s highest honour and requires 30 years of membership. Peer nomination testimonials are required, and the PIA board approves nominees.
Not all Town Planners are registered by the PIA, but it is possible to check which Town Planners are registered here.
Yes, Town Planners focus on zoning compliance and council negotiation while architects craft the building design. They should work as a team with the Town Planner guiding the Architect’s plans.
At Council Approval Group, we have our award-winning Architect, Giuseppe Calebrese. Giuseppe is also a Registered Design Practitioner Architect.
Yes, if you are looking for a Town Planner in your area, we have a team of in-house Consultant Town Planners and Architects serving clients throughout New South Wales, Victoria and South East Queensland and have experience across a range of projects.
So, whether you live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or even further afield, we should be able to help you.
We hope to offer our services in other states soon.
As far as services, we offer a large range of services, including:
- Preliminary Planning Assessment
- Development (DA) or Planning Applications
- Architectural Plans for Council (Our Registered Design Practitioner Architect works alongside Town Planners to ensure your plans meet requirements)
- Council Requests Management
- Post Consent Services (CC’s, SC’s & SWC’s)
No, you can lodge your application, but due to the complex nature of applications, professionally prepared applications have higher approval rates and are approved faster than DIY applications. Applications are also likely to receive fewer Requests for Further Information(RFI’s).
The cost of a Town Planner varies and will depend on the requirements and complexity of your specific project. We will need to do an assessment to understand your goals, and we will be able to provide you with a quote during your free consultation.
Questions?
We understand & we have all the answers you need...
*We have a 98% success rate in achieving development approval where our client follows our proven 7 Step formula which we have developed over the past 30 years and where the client is willing to go all the way to seek that approval on appeal if needed.
The key? Our Preliminary Planning Assessment, inclusive of your personal Project Strategy Session.
To get that success rate it has only come after helping over 50,000 people. We’ve worked hard to smooth out the kinks before they appear by carrying out this Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA) on your property. It works a treat, especially for what it can do for you, the journey of the project and its future.
Want to learn more about a PPA and how to get one? Book a FREE CONSULT
We could make up a fantasied timeframe to wow you, but to be straight up the length of getting an approval is dependent on the project development type, the local council, who examines your application within council, location of the property within the local council and on the property itself, and the list goes on. The approval process will no doubt take longer than you expect because we are dealing with administrative red tape.
But what our team has done has studied the 50,000+ properties we have been involved in and analysed the 300+ flight years of team council approval experience to create a formidable system.
So to answer the question, how long does it take for us to get council approval? The fastest in our industry.
We have over 20 team members lead by our founder Max Fragar with his 50 consecutive years of town planning and council approval knowledge. The team is made up of skilled town planners, property consultants and designers that we have hand picked to work on your project. It turns out that we’ve had over 300 collective years of experience working and dealing with local government councils.
What does this mean for you? One word, streamline. We know how to talk the council lingo, can perceive even predict the ins and outs of those council hoops of fire, and understand the nitty gritty to work tirelessly to achieve the best outcomes for our clients and their projects.
Check out our current team
Our firm currently has the capacity to assist clients with projects located across New South Wales, Victoria and South East Queensland. We anticipate being able to offer our services to other states in the near future.
Get ready, this could be the best decision you’ll make in the lifetime of your property portfolio.
If you’re looking at a property or already own one and you’re serious about making the property work harder for you, the next step is to book a free 30 minute consultation to speak to one of our property consultants.
In this initial discussion you’ll help us to understand the seriousness of your intent about moving forward with your property plans and to see if we’re the right fit for each other.
Want to Talk About Your Project?
If you are ready to remove the hassle and stress out of the Council Approval process, then it’s time to claim your Free 30-Minute Consultation.
In your free phone discussion you’ll have the opportunity to share why you need approval, what development type you’ll need it for, and if we’re a good fit to work together.
Then based on our chat, and our proven formula, we’ll often recommend a Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA) as the first step to unlock any hidden value that may be hiding within your property to help maximise the potential of it for you. Before jumping into a hearty development application, we love showing our clients how just this simple step can add tens of thousands of dollars in value to their project.