In this post I would like to draw your attention to some important issues around council development plans.
If you are considering contracting a property for development please be sure to carefully read the relavant council development plans. Speaking to a council representative over the counter is not enough. You may speak to someone forward thinking and pro development – but if they are not the person that makes the final assessment and the project is not compliant then you could find yourself in a very tricky position.
Also, just because the kind of development you are looking to do has been done 50 times before does not mean that yours will be approved. Development plans often get updated, making developments that were compliant yesterday not compliant today!
I spoke to someone at Brighton (Holdfast Council) who owned a property that he was sure could be subdivided based on his knowledge and experience of the council development plan. Unfortunately this particular development plan was updated 1 month prior to putting in his application. The council would not approve his development and the gentleman kissed away thousands of dollars!
If you are unsure how to interpret council development plans you have a few choices: 1) speak to a property specialist 2) speak to a Private Town Planner or 3) speak to a Council Planner to find out where to look for the information you require.
Learning how to do this is crucial to consistently making money through property development.
Update from my Property Shopping in 2009 post: How many offers did you put in last week? Remember you will never have an offer accepted if you do not put one in! Even if you think the agent will not accept the offer it doesn’t matter, what matters is that you throw your hat into the ring and show your interest.
Remember to ask someone you trust if you need help.
The information provided in the Talking Property podcast is general in nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with a professional advisor before making any investment decisions.
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I am a private town planning consultant and decided to start my business for this very reason – that is helping people to understand the system and even taking the need to deal with Council off their hands.
It funny, it takes 4 years to complete a uni degree in Town Planning and years of experience to understand the processes, legilsation and policies within Government approval process. They are open to interpretation and change constantly.
I worked in Local Government for 13 years and know that not all information is forthcoming regarding peoples property and any potenial adverse issues. you need to know how to ask the right questions and where to look for the information (as well as understand it)