Development applications in New South Wales
MMJ Town Planning and Advisory specialise in the coordination and facilitation of planning and development applications throughout New South Wales for our clients.
This can often require hands-on engagement and management of sub-consultants who specialise in a range of varying disciplines to address the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a proposal.
At MMJ, we aim to streamline a coordinated approach regarding sub-consultant feedback and input into a particular project to ensure any site constraints are well considered in delivering tailored development solutions and approvals for our clients.
We seek to minimise unnecessary frustrations and time delays that can often be experienced at the front end of development through early engagements of sub-consultants to seek specialist advice early in the project planning phase. Over the last few decades of providing town planning services, we have formed strong business relationships with local and national consulting firms to best suit our individual client’s needs.
Surveyors – Measures the levels of the land, boundaries and the positions of land features including buildings, trees, drainage, and services to make the design possible.
Architects – Design building projects for clients. Develops design concepts for structures and turn those concepts into detailed architectural drawings and plans. Architects and Building Designers are integral to all applications for building projects and work closely with the entire project team.
Draftsperson – Drawing sketches, plans, and designs for building projects. Creates technical drawings, mostly used in construction. They often work in conjunction with Architects, however, can also prepare designs for a range of projects.
Landscape Designer/Architect – Horticultural experts who create well, designed, functional and appealing outdoor spaces.
Engineers – Engineers cover a variety of disciplines including civil, environmental, fire, hydraulic, geotechnical, mechanical, structural & acoustic. Their role is to assess, design and review their relevant part of the project. Depending on the project, different engineers may be involved in different aspects. Most applications will require a civil and structural engineer during the application and construction phase of the project.
Bushfire – Assesses the vegetation, slope of land and the distance from the existing or proposed building to the vegetation to determine the potential bushfire risk. Bushfire consultants work with clients to design and develop solutions based on risk, regulatory requirements, site constraints and safety.
Specialist sub-consultants include Surveyors, Architects, Landscape Designer/Architect, Building Surveyors, Draftspersons, Bushfire Experts, Ecologists, Heritage Architects, Archaeologists, Arboricultural Consultants, Valuers, Urban Designers, Quantity Surveyors, and a Range of Engineers including Civil, Environmental, Fire, Hydraulic, Geotechnical, Mechanical, Structural & Acoustic – across both New South Wales and interstate.
Heritage Architect - Provides technical advice regarding heritage management during project planning, design, construction, on-going maintenance, and conservation works. Heritage Architects provide technical advice on materials and fabric conservation, construction methods and techniques and general advice.
Archaeologists – Archaeologists research human history through the study of artefacts including indigenous and European settlements. Archaeologists examine, data and interpret artefacts to gain an understanding of human, social and cultural progression. Archaeologists will assess the likelihood of artefacts being present on a site and recommend mitigation measures to avoid impacts.
Arboricultural Consultants – Provide professional advice on trees. Trees assessments provide a comprehensive survey or assessment of trees on a site to identify existing trees on site and their botanical names, dimensions, conditions, significance, and tree protection zones/structural root zones. Arboricultural assessments identify the retention value of each individual tree and the potential impact that may occur because of the proposed development with recommendations to reduce impacts to trees on site and surrounding the site.
Ecologists - Ecologists study relationships between plants, animals and humans and their environment. They analyse the environmental impact of proposed development and provide guidance in matters of conservation and land management. Ecologists are responsible for undertaking a range of activities in relation to the assessment of the ecological values of a location.
Quantity Surveyors - work with construction professionals including Architects, Engineers and Builders to prepare cost estimates and plans, audit projects, and manage costs and contracts for construction projects.
Urban Designers – Create outlines for buildings to improve existing spaces or create new facilities and developments
Valuers - Property Valuers are responsible for assessing the value of residential, industrial, or commercial properties.
In understanding a site’s development opportunities, it is first and foremost important to understand its constraints. For example, a flood prone property may have far more restrictive capabilities than a site which is identified as being flood free.
By engaging MMJ’s town planning service early in the project, we can identify potential site constraints and seek expert advice from sub-consultants to determine the development potential for each individual project and source required documentation to inform the design and planning applications.
Having the right consultants on board for a particular project is critical with regards to site layout and specific design response for any proposed development. MMJ is well-versed in understanding the right consultant for the right client, specific to the project needs, which is critical to achieve accurate and timely planning and development results.
