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Rural Council Planning Flying Squad. Paul Jarman DPCD. The Election commitment.
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Rural Council Planning Flying Squad Paul Jarman DPCD
The Election commitment • In September 2010, the Coalition announced that it will fund a flying squad of ... planners to assist local councils in regional Victoria with future planning measures … the Council Planning Flying Squad will assist country based councils to develop long-term land use plans for their municipality and assist with major project developments.
The resource • Funding of $2.8M is provided for the Flying Squad over a three year period. DPCD has appointed two senior planners with the remaining being available to purchase consultancy services. Approximately $600K pa is available for consultancy services.
The role The Flying Squad will: • Assist with advice, discussions and assessments regarding major project development proposals and applications. • Assist Councils with Wind Farm applications. • Provide targeted advice and / or assistance with longer term land use issues and plans for the municipality. • Help to process planning scheme amendments and authorisation requests in peak periods or when council planning officers are not available. • Provide occasional assistance to help process planning permit applications to enable councils to meet 60 day statutory timeframes in peak periods or when council planning officers are not available. • Prepare draft submissions/presentations to VCAT. • Prepare draft submissions/presentations to Planning Panels Victoria.
The consultant resource • Expression of Interest for suitably qualified consultants have been sought. • A long short list of over 100 providers has been approved.
The assessment process • Council and the local DPCD Regional Planning and Development Manager to discuss the need for assistance. • Council completes and submits an application form. • Application is reviewed by Regional Planning and Development Manager referring to Consultant short list.
The assessment process (cont) • Agree to issues and develop a specific scope of works. • DPCD obtains quotes from Consultant Register. • Quotes assessed by DPCD and recommendations agreed with Council. • Short form contract prepared.
DPCD assistance • Project assistance. • Amendment preparation. • Wind Farm assistance to Councils by Bart Gane. • DPCD Contract administration. • Council processes assessment and continuous improvement.
Work underway • Towong – Heritage Study implementation. • Macedon Ranges – backlog of 80 permit applications. • Wangaratta – VCAT submissions. • Yarriambiack – Farming Zone anomalies correction.
Work under consideration • Backlog of amendment requests. • CMAs – flooding amendments in 4 municipalities. • Water storage major project. • Structure plan implementation. • More permit backlogs.
What we don’t fund • Funded vacancy backfill. • Strategic studies eg. DCPs or MSS reviews. • Consultancy budget top up.