Objections

Big Picture Urban Rural has extensive and successful experience in preparing objections to planning applications on behalf of private or business clients. We also represent objectors in consultation meetings, formal Council or committee meetings and at VCAT.

The Victorian town planning system allows most landowners potentially affected by the granting of a permit to lodge objections or other submissions. This is the one and only opportunity to persuade their council to see the application from the objectors’ perspective before a decision is made.

Unfortunately this is often a wasted opportunity. With the vast majority of objections being written by the affected people themselves, common (major) problems include: general unfamiliarity with the planning system; what to include (or exclude); what tone to adopt; how much weight (if any) to give to particular issues; and what documents or decisions to refer to. Others lack the ability to clearly and objectively present a persuasive argument in writing.

A professional, assessment-based objection or other submission can make all the difference to whether or not an objector achieves a favourable outcome. This includes whether the application receives council support, whether changes to the application are required, and/or what conditions will apply if a permit is granted. If the application ends up at VCAT, obtaining key concessions from the permit applicant and/or having the council on your side can also be critical.

Three further reasons why objectors can benefit from having professional representation to look after their interests are that: the application process allows the permit applicant to have far more contact with the council officers than do objectors; objectors sometimes find permit applicants difficult to deal with; and many permit applicants are also professionally represented by persons (including town planners) familiar with town planning. The latter is especially so for applications requiring assessment against complex planning controls such as Clause 55 Two or more dwellings (ResCode), the Piggeries Code of Practice, the Telecommunications Code of Practice, the EPA Noise Control Guidelines etc, or simply the more general provisions of a planning scheme.

Call or email Matt Gorman today (for contact details, click here) to discuss your objection needs. This can include a intitial assessment of your prospects for succesfully objecting to a particular application and/or preparation and lodgement of a formal objection itself.