Town planning reports, applications and consulting.
Town planning is a broad term in the building industry, and refers to any local government mandated requirement, generally based around new construction, renovation or extending. So for example if you plan to extend your existing home or build a new home on a block of land there may be a zoning or overlay requirement decided by your local council.
If you are aware of one of these requirements for your project or are not sure we can do the research and check your land for you. Additionally if you find you have local council requirements applying to your project we can help consult yourself and guide you through the town planning process.
Town planning applications ordinarily comprise of understanding your requirements, what zone your land is in and what overlays apply to your land. Once the requirements are understood putting together an application which includes an application form from your local council as well as any evidence required by council to assess your application.
Is the town planning process difficult?
Yes and no, it isn’t that simple. For example you can have a fairly straightforward set of requirements for your land or block that require a very simple application. But this isn’t always the case and the process can be quite lengthy.
This is why we pride ourselves on service and consulting, it isn’t simply about doing the work and getting your application going, its also about us being a consultant for somebody like yourself during a construction project, to make something daunting and complicated quite easy and straightforward.
In any case, understanding ahead of time what is required for your town planning application is key in having a simple process, in addition sometimes we can have a preapplication meeting with your local council to further work out the details.
Do all construction projects require town planning?
The good news is no, most often if you are buying land in a new estate or sub division, the town planning process has either already been completed by a developer, or isn’t required at all.
However it is smart to always be aware and discuss with an industry practitioner if you are planning to build a new home or commercial building to check and see if there are requirements pertaining to your project.
A quick example of a town planning overlay is a Bushfire Management Overlay, something we are very familiar with (click here for more info). These commonly appear in areas outsides of established townships and generally near areas of high bushfire threat.
If you were extending your home and your land was within one of these overlays you would be require to make a town planning application, something we would prepare, and then it would be submitted to council for assessment. Overlays such as these exist to ensure that when extending or building a new home or commercial premise you are doing so with consideration to nearby environmental risks or urban amenities.