Council Matters: How Terrain’s Council Experience Makes the Difference for Our Clients

There’s no denying it.

When it comes to development, the Local Government – or Council – that presides over the area your proposal is set to take place in, is one of the key stakeholders in the success of your development.

The truth is, they are effectively the major gatekeeper to the success or failure of your proposed development.

At Terrain Consulting Group, we readily accept this challenge and bring immense knowledge and experience to the table for our clients when it comes to understanding how to navigate interactions with council.

In fact, we don’t just accept this challenge. We are well and truly prepared for it.

Much of that preparation comes from lived experience.

Many of Terrain’s experienced and qualified town planners have prior experience working in local government.

It is that experience which for Director Lorenzo Rigoni provides a crucial advantage to Terrain when assisting their clients to achieve their goals.

“I have in the order of 11 years of local government senior management experience, before I made my way into private practice,” says Mr Rigoni.

“That means I have a good understanding of how the internal machinations of government work, as well as having contacts at the state [government] level.

“That’s what I instil in my team. They need to be conscious of those internal processes at the government level, with the aim of achieving the objectives for the client.”

Terrain Consulting Group, with over 30 years of experience as planning consultants, has had extensive dealings with various Councils in greater Melbourne and regional Victoria, and has developed an understanding of the intricacies of different Councils and how their planning application processes work.

Furthermore, our strong reputation within our sector as expert planning and development consultants has aided in the establishment of beneficial connections with Council officials.

Our planning consultants have professional expertise in both Local Government and private practice, which helps to guarantee that planning applications are submitted and processed on time.

We recognise the significance of project deadlines and have shown our ability to collaborate closely with the client, designer, and Council officials to achieve a successful result.

To deliver this for our clients, this typically requires Terrain to make presentations at Council meetings.

A planning application is often subject to public scrutiny. A meeting with Council officials and/or citizens, as well as a formal Council meeting, may be part of this.

We have professional representation expertise in such venues, where we concentrate on the main problems to enable good outcomes.

Our land development experts have worked hard to establish a respectable reputation as tough but fair negotiators, leveraging our extensive experience within Local Government to help us navigate Council regulations, all while keeping the client’s objectives in mind.

If you are considering a development and are concerned about making it work with Council, Terrain is well placed to give you advice on whether or not your plans are realistic, and how you can achieve your goals all whilst avoiding a major issue with Local Government.