1. Rural Council Planning
Flying Squad
Paul Jarman DPCD

2. The Election commitment
• In September 2010, the Coalition
announced that it will fund a flying squad
of ... planners to assist local councils in
regional Victoria with future planning
measures … the Council Planning Flying
Squad will assist country based councils
to develop long-term land use plans for
their municipality and assist with major
project developments.

3. So what is the Flying Squad?

4. So what is the Flying Squad?

5. The resource
• Funding of $2.8M is provided for the
Flying Squad over a three year period.
DPCD has appointed two senior planners
with the remaining being available to
purchase consultancy services.
Approximately $600K pa is available for
consultancy services.

6. The role
The Flying Squad will:
• Assist with advice, discussions and assessments regarding major
project development proposals and applications.
• Assist Councils with Wind Farm applications.
• Provide targeted advice and / or assistance with longer term land use
issues and plans for the municipality.
• Help to process planning scheme amendments and authorisation
requests in peak periods or when council planning officers are not
available.
• Provide occasional assistance to help process planning permit
applications to enable councils to meet 60 day statutory timeframes in
peak periods or when council planning officers are not available.
• Prepare draft submissions/presentations to VCAT.
• Prepare draft submissions/presentations to Planning Panels Victoria.

7. The consultant resource
• Expression of Interest for suitably qualified
consultants have been sought.
• A long short list of over 100 providers has
been approved.

8. The assessment process
• Council and the local DPCD Regional
Planning and Development Manager to
discuss the need for assistance.
• Council completes and submits an
application form.
• Application is reviewed by Regional
Planning and Development Manager
referring to Consultant short list.

9. The assessment process (cont)
• Agree to issues and develop a specific
scope of works.
• DPCD obtains quotes from Consultant
Register.
• Quotes assessed by DPCD and
recommendations agreed with Council.
• Short form contract prepared.

10. DPCD assistance
• Project assistance.
• Amendment preparation.
• Wind Farm assistance to Councils by Bart
Gane.
• DPCD Contract administration.
• Council processes assessment and
continuous improvement.

11. Work underway
• Towong – Heritage Study implementation.
• Macedon Ranges – backlog of 80 permit
applications.
• Wangaratta – VCAT submissions.
• Yarriambiack – Farming Zone anomalies
correction.

12. Work under consideration
• Backlog of amendment requests.
• CMAs – flooding amendments in 4
municipalities.
• Water storage major project.
• Structure plan implementation.
• More permit backlogs.

13. What we don’t fund
• Funded vacancy backfill.
• Strategic studies eg. DCPs or MSS
reviews.
• Consultancy budget top up.

14. Questions?