A Brief History on the Town Planning Department
I am often asked, “why does a real estate agency have a Town Planning Department?" And my response is that it’s the “glue” that binds our multidisciplined real estate agency together – but let me come back to that.
For many years MMJ completed a wide range of property consultancy services to The Shell Company of Australia Ltd and in 1987 Shell asked if we could coordinate and lodge Development Applications for their new to industry sites. This is a very complex area of Legislation and requires highly skilled and qualified Town Planners, which a Real Estate Agency doesn’t traditionally employ. Consequently, we had to decline this line of consultancy.
Rob Aubin, Head of Property Advisory
Soon after, I had work on the Central Coast and while I was there, I checked the Yellow Pages (don’t forget this was pre-Internet!!) for Town Planning Consultants and was surprised to find that there were about 10 individuals and firms. When I returned to Wollongong, I checked Illawarra’s Yellow Pages and there was only one and he was nearing retirement.
We hatched a plan to poach Graham Rollinson, the then Deputy Chief Town Planner at Shellharbour City Council. Graham could see the potential and agreed to come on board to set up the MMJ Town Planning Department and become Director of Town Planning.
Graham coordinated the relevant consultants, prepared the Statement of Environmental Effects and lodged many Development Applications over a period of 30 years for service stations throughout New South Wales on behalf of Shell including new to industry sites, site redevelopments and rebranding. In addition, he completed a broad range of Town Planning consultancy services for many MMJ clients throughout the Illawarra. Soon after Graham joined MMJ, one prominent local developer told me that we had secured the services of the best town planner in the Illawarra.
The Department now boasts four Town Planners plus support staff and completes a wide range of Town Planning assignments not only in the Illawarra and the South Coast but across New South Wales.
Now, back to the “glue.” MMJ has six other Departments that the Town Planning Department provides consultancy services to either formally or informally. To give you some idea of the breadth of services provided, below is a summary.
Commercial Sales - assist in the preparation of Information Memorandums for development sites providing the town planning issues for the site and potential development yields. Once the development site has been sold, the Town Planning Department processes the Development Application through the relevant Council. The development is then constructed, and MMJ’s Project Marketing Team proceed to market the end product.
Commercial Leasing - provide advice as to the potential for approval of tenants moving into new premises and preparing change of use applications through the local councils or private certifiers.
Commercial Management - assist in providing Town Planning advice and applications to Council on behalf of both Landlords and Tenants.
Business Sales - provide advice as to the legality of business uses in the respective zonings to alleviate any purchaser issues in the future.
Project Marketing - assist developer clients by processing Development Applications and maintaining strong client relationships throughout the development approval process.
Residential Sales - provide advice to the Residential Sales Department regarding potential highest and best use and development yields for residential properties.
In addition to supporting the respective Departments within MMJ, the Town Planning Department undertakes a broad range of consultancy services for many clients not associated previously with MMJ providing a new source of high quality and loyal clients to the rest of the business.
The department has now come full circle with Graham’s son Luke Rollinson being the Director of Town Planning and the tradition continues as Luke is now widely recognised as the best Town Planner in the Illawarra. The Town Planning & Advisory team includes qualified and experienced town planners with combined experience of over 60 years in Town Planning and the development industry.
Get in touch with the MMJ Town Planning & Advisory team here:
