Our Planning and Major Projects directorate coordinates the city’s land use growth, planning it to ensure a sustainable future. This directorate also monitors the requirements for our established areas, and co-ordinates the construction of major community buildings.
Building Services issues building permits, carries out building inspections on all forms of construction and provides advice to developers and residents.
Established Areas delivers desired community outcomes for the established areas within the municipality by developing strategic policy and planning frameworks. They manage and implement statutory and non-statutory planning instruments including the Whittlesea Planning Scheme, planning policies and codes. This includes determining subdivision and planning permit applications to ensure the objectives of overarching structure plans, development plans and Council policies for established areas are implemented effectively.
Growth Areas Development Assessementfacilitates the processing of planning applications of a significant statutory planning nature via consistent relationship management with key developers. This includes determining subdivision planning permit applications to ensure the effective implementation of the objectives of overarching structure plans, development plans and Council policies for current and future growth areas.
Strategic Planning and Design specialises in managing growth areas and complex strategic projects to ensure an integrated and sustainable approach to future planning and land use. This incorporates a balanced approach, which is inclusive of ecological, social, cultural and demographical trends. The unit also designs and manages the development of green fields areas within the municipality, alongside the State Government and the development industry.
Sustainability and Community Planning is responsible for:
- improving the municipality’s sustainable performance
- integrating social, economic, cultural and environmental considerations into decision-making processes
- raising awareness of sustainable development, both internally and to the broader community.
The unit also specialises in social planning in new areas, and environmental issues across the municipality and is committed to working in partnership with a broad range of Council business units.
Major Projects leads the organisation in the delivery of major building projects. While being involved in the stakeholder engagement and functional brief preparation, their main purpose is to:
- co-ordinate the design
- manage the building construction (including contract management and cost control)
- deliver the completed facility within timelines
A major project is generally defined as the construction of a major community building, but is assessed once the needs identification, functional brief and preliminary business case have been developed.
