Statutory Planning

Statutory planning is the day-to-day engine of the development industry and getting it right requires both technical precision and an intimate understanding of how the system actually works in practice.

Our team has worked across both sides of the assessment process, having held roles in local government and the State Commission Assessment Panel before moving into private practice.

That experience means we know how applications are assessed, what assessors are looking for and how to structure advice that gets results.

Our approach considers the social, economic, cultural, environmental and political context of each application and we have the relationships and credibility to negotiate effectively with all key stakeholders throughout the process.

Our services include:

• Pre-lodgement advice and design review
• Development application preparation and management
• Council Assessment Panel representation
• State Commission Assessment Panel representation
• Over-height and complex approval facilitation
• Interstate statutory planning (Northern Territory since 2008)

We provide development assessment services across the full spectrum of development types, from straightforward residential applications through to complex large-scale commercial, mixed-use and over-height proposals.

We are highly experienced in pre-lodgement development assessment and design review for large-scale city and infill projects and have a strong track record securing Pre-Lodgement Agreements from the Government Architect, particularly for over-height development.

Our services include:
• Residential assessment
• Commercial and mixed-use assessment
• Heritage and character area assessment
• Pre-lodgement agreement facilitation
• Design review processes
• Planning due diligence advice

We provide experienced in-house and locum planning services to both metropolitan and regional councils across South Australia, covering development assessment, statutory planning, Code Amendments and community engagement.

With key staff having served more than 18 councils over the years, we understand the pressures of local government planning and deliver a service that integrates seamlessly with existing teams.

Who we’ve worked with:
• City of Mitcham
• District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula
• District Council of Franklin Harbour
• District Council of Streaky Bay
• District Council of Cleve
• District Council of Kimba
• District Council of Elliston
• Mid Murray Council

We’ve also worked on planning reviews and master plans for regional councils in South Australia, including:
• Victor Harbor
• Alexandrina
• Whyalla
• Port Lincoln
• Murray Bridge
• Lower Eyre
• Port Pirie

Appearing before the ERD Court requires more than planning knowledge, it requires credibility, preparation and the ability to present complex technical matters clearly under scrutiny.

Key Future Urban personnel regularly provide expert witness evidence before the Court, having represented clients at compulsory conferences and as independent expert witnesses at hearings before both a Commissioner and a Full Bench.

Our involvement typically begins well before a hearing, advising on planning merit, preparing evidence and identifying the technical issues most likely to be tested. That preparation shows in the quality of the evidence and the outcomes achieved.

Our services include:
• Expert witness evidence preparation
• Representation at compulsory conferences
• ERD Court hearing support
• Planning merit assessments
• Independent peer review

Many development projects require approvals or assessments beyond the planning system, particularly under the EPBC Act and the Native Vegetation Act. We advise clients on the appropriate approval pathway, scope the required technical investigations and coordinate specialist inputs to keep the process moving.

Our team has a particularly strong working knowledge of the Native Vegetation Act, which intersects with broadhectare land development on a near-daily basis. We have coordinated environmental approvals for telecommunications infrastructure across South Australia and the Northern Territory, major land divisions and projects within sensitive environments.

Projects we’ve worked on:

• Telecommunications network infrastructure (Telstra, Optus, Singtel)
• ElectraNet
• Kangaroo Island tourism and land division
• Flinders Chase National Park
• Fort Largs
• Major broadhectare land divisions at Roseworthy, Mount Barker and Port Noarlunga South