The planning system in NSW is difficult and complex to navigate for many people, including those within the industry. The average development can be a lot more difficult to progress through the planning system and the requirements associated with gaining development consent a lot more verbose than many people first anticipate. Statement of Environmental Effects (SoEE’s ) are report based documents required to accompany a development application. They serve to address the legislation and environmental matters relating to projects and help to establish a project’s intention with the assessing officers, such as Council, the Department of Planning, or other public authorities prescribed by the Regulations.

VPA’s are typically utilised by planning authorities to obtain contributions for a public purpose from developers / landowners. VPA’s are a contractual agreement between the planning authority (Council’s, the Minister for Planning, a development authority or other public authority prescribed by the Regulations) and the developer / landowner. King and Campbell currently represent a number of landholders in developing VPA’s for various land use projects.

Local Environmental Studies provide an objective analysis of the capability and suitability of land for the purposes of future development and ensure that the proposed rezoning is both environmentally sustainable and consistent with the relevant strategies and policy documentation. LES’s are often required in conjunction with the preparation of Local Environmental Plan’s where the plan is the first to be made for the area.

Tony Thorne and David Tooby, both Directors of King and Campbell, have played significant roles in the structure planning/LES/Draft LEP process for each of the Port Macquarie-Hastings urban release areas (Areas 13, 14 and 15) and the Sancrox Employment Precinct.

Local Environmental Plans (LEP’s) are planning documents prepared by Council to guide planning decisions and control development through land use zoning and development standards. The primary purpose of an LEP is to separate incompatible land uses and provide provisions which set out additional planning controls or matters to consider to guide development. These provisions can include consideration of issues such as flooding, acid sulfate soils, heritage and the development of specific sites.

King and Campbell have been involved in the preparation of a number of LEP’s including each of the major land release areas within the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area (Areas 13, 14 and 15) and the Sancrox Employment Precinct. King and Campbell have also been involved in the preparation of a number of LEP Amendments and rezoning proposals.

Development Control Plans (DCP’s) provide specific, more comprehensive guidelines for certain types of development than that prescribed through an LEP, REP or SEPP. The detailed guidelines contained within a DCP are in addition to the provisions of the legal planning instrument (SEPP, REP or LEP). DCPs provide a flexible means of identifying additional development controls and standards for addressing development issues.

King and Campbell are currently involved in the preparation of the DCP for the West Lindfield land release area, to guide future development within this precinct of the Thrumster locality.

A community can provide a valuable knowledge base for the assessment of needs, function and character of a town centre. They can also provide valuable information into the local processes, community dynamics and historically or culturally significant events and traditions which would not ordinarily be revealed through field research and the review of previous studies and documents alone.

King and Campbell have undertaken a large number of urban planning projects which have involved varying methods and extents of community consultation.