TOWN PLANNING SERVICES
Development Applications
Reconfiguration and Subdivision of Land or Buildings
An application to Council will be required to enable subdivision of land or buildings. The application will only be approved by Council if it is consistent with Planning Scheme requirements (e.g. lot sizes, density, servicing etc) including Council overlays (e.g. vegetation, slope, bushfire, flooding, landslide etc) and State of Queensland interests (e.g. koala mapping, waterway mapping, state transport corridors etc). Planning Schemes and State Government planning requirements comprise large, complex documents and mapping. CadCon sources and analyses these documents and provides expert planning advice to enable the client to make informed decisions about proceeding with the project. Where required, a site visit attended by CadCon, expert co-consultants and the client will also be arranged. Once decided, depending on the complexity of the project, a pre-lodgement meeting with Council and/or State Government may be recommended to bed the project down even further. Pending the outcome of this, CadCon then coordinates reports from co-consultants, designs the subdivision and submits a comprehensive development application to Council. CadCon will prepare the relevant Council and State Government development application forms and a planning report include code compliance tables as part of the application documents.
It is critical to the success of a project that the shape of the approval is entirely consistent with the expectations of the client. These expectations will be based on advice from CadCon throughout the application process. An application that is not comprehensive or that contains inconsistencies will result in delays and cost increases to the project. With over 20 years’ experience in designing subdivisions, making applications, liaising with Council and Government, liaising with and coordinating co-consultants, CadCon’s advice is based on solid knowledge and extensive experience. Our advice can be relied on and has been for many years across many successful projects.
Material Change of Use
Similar to subdivisions, successful material change of use applications rely on obtaining the right advice at the start of the project. In addition to Planning Scheme and Government requirements, expertise in relating a project concept to the actual site and surrounding circumstances is critical. The earlier this is known, the more cost effective and “fit for site” a project will be. On some occasions a client’s proposal will be identified as completely unsuitable for a particular site for many possible reasons. We will provide this advice as early in the process as we can, often at the first phone call. If a project is identified as suitable for the site, we will bring our expertise to ensure the best possible design and development approval for that project.
Operational Works
This is an area of the development process that is often overlooked by a client. There is no point in obtaining a reconfiguration of a lot or material change of use approval if the project cannot be physically or economically constructed or serviced. CadCon’s on-ground experience and relationships with co-consultants (such as civil and electrical engineers and landscape designers) allows us to bring forward this advice as early into the project as possible.
Whilst on many occasions it is the civil engineer who makes the operational works application, if there are numerous areas of an operational works application required, other than just civil works (e.g. landscaping, electrical, etc), CadCon can coordinate and make the application.
Further, preliminary drawings and reports i.e. of a standard just below full operational works drawings, are often required at the subdivision and material change of use stage of an application to ensure an appropriate, practical approval from Council. CadCon will identify that this is the case and provide instructions to co-consultants to ensure an approval consistent with expectations.
Public Notification
Public notification is required for certain development applications and provides the public an opportunity to make a submission (both positive and negative) before a development application is decided. There are specific requirements for how and when public notification is to be undertaken.
It is easy for applications to “fall over” at this stage because of an administrative error by the applicant or consultant responsible for the public notification. Rigorous timeframe, site analysis and attention to detail is required to prepare, lodge and confirm public notification. It is too easy for an objector to slow up an approval if public notification has not been correctly undertaken. Because of our attention to detail, CadCon has never had an application challenged or “fall over” from public notification being done incorrectly.
With contacts over the State, we can coordinate erection of on-site signs that meet requirements and are placed in the correct position as confirmed by photographic evidence. Experience counts at this stage of an application.
Changes and Extensions to Development Approvals
Sometimes development approvals are required to be changed due to changing market conditions, operational needs or other circumstances following the approval of a development application. To change a development approval, an application is required to be submitted to the local government. The nature of the proposed change will vary the application process and the information required to be supplied to Council. A “minor change” application is required if the proposed change does not result in a substantially different development to the original approval. An “other change” application is required for all changes not considered a minor change. A minor change application is generally a simpler more streamlined process than an other change as an other change follows the same application and assessment process as a development application.
Additionally, the currency period (i.e. the length of time a development has to be completed in following the approval) may need to be extended if additional time is required to complete the development. An extension must be requested before the development approval lapses. Typically a development approval remains current for between two to six years depending on the type of approval (e.g. reconfiguration of a lot, material change of use, etc). An application needs to be submitted to Council requesting an extension to the development approval’s currency period.
CadCon can help you understand the process and requirements for changing an application and lodge the necessary application for changes and extensions to development approvals.
Feasibility and Due Diligence Analysis
Feasibility Analysis
Seeking the right town planning advice early is important. It can identify and address site issues; identify co-consultants whose expertise is likely to be required; and determine the likely impact of development approval conditions before deciding to proceed fully with the development application.
Feasibility Analysis initially involves desktop site analysis to identify Council and Government town planning, overlay and servicing requirements and site constraints and opportunities. A preliminary design is undertaken, ordinarily involving liaison with co-consultants, to ensure technical requirements are considered in the preliminary design. A preliminary cost, again in liaison with co-consultants can then be provided.
If the project appears favourable the next step is an on-site meeting between client, CadCon and co-consultants. If that too proves positive then, depending on the complexity of the project, a pre-lodgement meeting with Council is arranged and held. Pending the outcomes of the prelodgement meeting, the client is in a strong position to decide whether to proceed with site purchase and a comprehensive development application.
Due Diligence Analysis
The marketing information provided to facilitate the sale of a property is not always cognizant of all of the issues and matters that can affect the viability of a development. Similar to feasibility analysis, CadCon can undertake desktop site analysis to identify any issues and matters that could impact on a project’s viability before the client commits to purchasing the project.
Project Liaison, Negotiation, Coordination and Management
Development projects are complex and involve many “moving parts”. It is essential that whoever is responsible for obtaining a development approval is aware of all of the key people that need to be involved in decision making and the provision of expert technical advice during the application process and beyond. This will include clients, council officers, government officers and co-consultants such as engineers, ecologists, hydrologists and geotechnical engineers. Further, any reports and documents provided by co-consultants need to be entirely consistent across the development application or else a convoluted, tangled development approval may be the result. This is CadCon’s area of expertise. Our contacts, experience and attention to detail ensure that a completely homogenous development application is submitted to Council, and that the approval issued by Council, together with government approval conditions, is consistent with the application that was submitted and can be built in accordance with the approved plans. Coordination of the development application process has a significant impact on timeliness, approval consistency and, ultimately, the success of a project.