Strategy
Town Planning Steps & Property Development Process
Pre-purchase highest and best use due diligence, our integrated knowledge allows us to quickly and accurately perform development assessments. The critical design, town planning, building and economic information you need to confidently make an investment decision. In this most critical phase, we take the time to develop a design response. We evolve the Concept Plans into a set of Town Planning Drawings and Town Planning Permit application.
Step 1 of 4
Assessment
Preliminary Highest and Best Use Analysis
We are a professional town planning firm with an extensive process of resourcing as much information as possible on a development site upfront, collating vital information such as property reports and land titles from resources like Land Channel.
Property Change provides you with extensive due diligence and cost feasibility analysis. We consult with Local Government, town planners, real estate agents and service authorities to iron out as many issues as possible at the beginning of each project — saving you time, money and energy. This support can come at the start, by reviewing potential sites and recommending those suitable for the proposal, through to assistance with marketing and sale.
Our planning investigation includes
- An overview of town planning controls, opportunities and constraints
- A preliminary recommendation on development potential
- A preliminary feasibility
Step 2 of 4
Concept
Concept Plans
We develop Concept Plans for your project based on your brief and our design response. In this most critical phase we take the time to leverage integrated design, planning and building knowledge across the team to deliver a quality response we can deliver for your budget.
The Concept Plans become the shared reference between you, the architect and council — minimising surprises later in permit lodgement.
Step 3 of 4
Detailed
Detailed Highest and Best Use Analysis
This includes
- A study of the highest and best use for your site
- Private town planner engagement with Council regarding the proposed scheme
- All important documentation including Title, Copy of Plan and Council Schedules / Neighbourhood Character documents where appropriate
- A recommendation on the strategy for your project
Step 4 of 4
Approval
Town Planning Approval
We evolve the Concept Plans into a set of Town Planning Drawings and a Town Planning Permit application. We integrate private town planning representation in this phase to manage lodgement, negotiate with council and objectors, and provide representation at VCAT if required.
If you are a permit applicant or land owner who has had a planning application refused, or a permit issued with conditions you believe are onerous, we can lodge an application for review with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have Council's decision set aside or varied. We will lodge all paperwork, prepare the planning submission, and act as the representative at the hearing.
We also represent objectors to planning applications at VCAT.
To review decisions, search VCAT online and go to Planning and Environment List → Decisions: austlii.edu.au — VCAT decisions.
FAQs
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Once an application has progressed through the advertising phase (if required) and all feedback from third parties has been received, it is then formally assessed and a decision is made.
If objections have been received but Council has consider your proposal acceptable, a legal notice will be issued to say that they support the application subject to certain conditions being met. A copy is sent to the applicant and any objectors. If no appeals are lodged to VCAT within the stated timeframe, a permit will then be issued.
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Applicants or objectors that are unhappy with the decision can appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) within the specified timeframes on the notice.