This comprehensive guide covers the essential aspects of subdividing land on the Sunshine Coast, including costs, timelines, and determining if your land is eligible for subdivision.

The benefits of using a reputable town planner adept with the Sunshine Coast council’s planning scheme can have a significant economic impact on your development application by streamlining the process. From your initial consultation, a Town Planner will be able to assess your development or idea knowing what types of applications the local council are currently accepting or rejecting. The bank of experience and knowledge they have from similar residential, commercial, retail, industrial or other projects to yours that have previously been approved means they can identify any potential issues early and advise the best and most efficient way to alleviate the problems. This in turn, allows you to together make educated decisions, manage expectations and proactively take the steps needed to present an application that meets the Sunshine Coast council’s information requirements. Whether you are doing a boundary realignment, large scale subdivision or going for a material change of use or operational works approval, the value of engaging a town planner early is further extended by the networks and relationships they have fostered in the local community, with other service professionals and at council. Simply being able to access a trusted network of local experts through your Town Planner gives you a step up immediately. An established and tested working relationship comes with the advantage of proficiencies in communication, and when they know each other’s needs and how they work, greater efficiencies (and therefore costs) can be realised. Development proposals on the Sunshine Coast don’t need to be complicated if you have the right town planner working for you. Murray & Associates’ Director and Principal Town Planner, Blake Bell, and his team have a reputation of being able to deliver value by saving excessive costs and timely delays. Each new project benefits from the knowledge and expertise built upon by their extensive past projects in a variety of sectors. Murray & Associates have two town planning offices in the Sunshine Coast centrally located at Maroochydore and Nambour, with the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Noosa, Gympie and Moreton Bay regions also covered with our Gympie and Caboolture offices. Let us contact you today to get started!

The Directors of Murray & Associates take great pleasure in announcing the promotion of Town Planners Patrick Barnes and Chris Page to Associates. Patrick started in the Caboolture office four years ago, whilst Chris joined the Sunshine Coast team in Sept 2019, currently splitting his time between Maroochydore, Nambour and Gympie. Director and Principal Town Planner, Blake Bell, says the promotion to Associate for Pat and Chris is well deserved, "It's recognition for their commitment to their profession, consultancy expertise and service delivery to our clients." The value of Chris and Patrick's extensive experience and involvement in a vast array of residential, commercial, rural and industrial projects across Queensland is a huge asset for the firm. Their approach to the projects they work on, the relationships they build with clients and development of junior staff embodies the ethos of the company, which is also celebrating 75 years in business this year. Chris and Patrick now join the Associates ranks at Murray & Associates with Cadastral Surveyor, Kyle Kenna. Please join us in congratulating our newest Associates, Patrick and Chris.

Have you decided you need a Town Planner for your next development application but don’t know who to turn to and how to pick the right one? This guide gives you practical tips and resources to help you gain the advantage of working with the best Sunshine Coast Town Planning Consultant. 1. Experience & Volume When it comes to experience and expertise, the number of successful applications lodged by a Town Planner and their consultancy speaks volumes. A planning consultant’s experience comes into play with their ability to efficiently develop strategies, provide practical advice to you (without the jargon) and submit concise reports and applications to ensure the best outcome. As a developer or landowner, the best outcome for you is always going to be getting an approval from local council the first time, thus avoiding delays and increasing costs. Whether you are reconfiguring a lot by way of subdivision, doing a boundary realignment, operational works, lease application or a Material Change of Use (MCU) for example, each project will benefit from the knowledge and expertise built upon by extensive past developments and the applications of your Town Planner. Look for a Town or Urban Planner with vast experience that aligns with your development proposal, taking into account the industry sector (residential, commercial, retail, industrial, energy or resources), site location, complexity and size of the project. This information is readily available to search on Sunshine Coast Council’s Development.i. website or you could speak to others in your industry or neighbourhood for a referral. 2. Up to date, Local knowledge Town Planning experts make it their business to stay informed and on top of the complex, ever changing local and state planning legislation and regulations. The risk of missing an important step in the process or misinterpreting information can lead to costly and timely delays or rejections. Identifying the development potential, the best strategic approach for you and possible constraints specific to the assessment requirements is best done by a professional Town Planner who knows the local system inside and out. The experienced Town Planning Consultants at Murray & Associates are experts in the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 , Noosa Plan 2020 , and other relevant regional council planning schemes, including the Gympie Regional Council Planning Scheme and MBRC Planning Scheme . Understanding the intricate detail of the council’s town plan, being able to mitigate the risks involved and draw on the experience and skill of being awarded one of the highest volumes of development approvals on the Sunshine Coast, means they are also in the best position to challenge and negotiate conditions on your behalf to achieve the desired results…which is what we all want in the end! 3. Collaborative Effort A Town Planner is your biggest advocate to ensure appropriate outcomes are realised from development approvals, but there are several other stakeholders that are involved in the process. Interested parties include other property service providers like engineers, architects and builders, as well as council, utility providers and authorities. A good Town Planner will liaise on your behalf with all relevant professionals and facilitate communication and the transfer of important information between them to keep your project progressing. Significant value can be placed on engaging a Town Planner early to allow you to tap into their extensive network of skilled professionals. Again, a local, highly experienced Town Planner is the one most likely to have the established relationships and strong reputation that will get you ahead of the game. Making the Call The best way to know if the Town & Urban Planner you are considering is a good fit for you and your project, is to request a meeting. Researching all the above elements is important, but to maximise the likely success of your project, you and your Town Planner need to be able to communicate easily and build a relationship based on trust and a solid understanding of your needs and goals – if it isn’t going to work, you will probably get a feel for this from your initial meeting. Creating individualised service with targeted outcomes is what Murray & Associates strive for with every engagement, regardless of project size or a client’s past development experience. Our Sunshine Coast specialist Town Planners are available for an obligation-free discussion over the phone or in person at our locations in Maroochydore or Nambour, as well as our offices in Gympie and Caboolture. Contact us today on 07 5441 2188 or let us know your details and a Town Planning Consultant will get in touch.

Surveying Assistant, Lawson Smith, has been nominated as a finalist in a local community award for his volunteer work at Sunshine Butterflies. When he was not working at Murray & Associates, Lawson volunteered two days per week every holidays in his final year of school. Sunshine Butterflies is a charity and recreational disability support service that specialises in supporting families and individuals, as well as educating the younger generation about disability, acceptance and inclusion. Our company association with Sunshine Butterflies started a few years ago during the construction of their facilities with the donation our professional surveying works. Lawson’s nomination comes with full support of the charity “Lawson is a wonderful role model for our young adults at Sunshine Butterflies and within the local community, showing generosity, polite and a positive attitude with all that he does. Sunshine Butterflies is so grateful for Lawson and all his efforts he has truly made a difference in the lives of individuals living with a disability within our community”. Well done Lawson and best of luck with the award for Young Community Member of the Year to be announced at the end of the month. For more information on Sunshine Butterflies, visit their website here , and if you want to help us support Lawson, you can vote here before 21 February 2021.

Noosa Plan 2020 was gazetted and came into effect on 31 July 2020. The new scheme, which replaces the Noosa Plan 2006, serves as a blueprint for the region's primary policy and future directional document to manage development - including new or changing land uses, subdivision, building works, landscaping and clearing of vegetation and all forms of engineering works. Noosa Plan 2020 is the culmination of several years of consultation, engagement and review with the community and state agencies. Making a Superseded Planning Scheme Request The Planning Act 2016 allows a request to be made to Council to apply a superseded planning scheme to the carrying out of a development or have a development proposal assessed under the provisions of the superseded planning scheme, being Noosa Plan 2006. Applicants have one year from the commencement of Noosa Plan 2020. A superseded planning scheme request enables a person to find out the local government's position before taking further action, such as lodging a development application or carrying out development. Council will have 30 days to decide upon a request being made, and 5 days to notify you of that decision. If the Decision Notice approves the request, a planning approval may or may not be required depending on the development proposal and whether it required planning approval under the superseded Noosa Plan 2006. The Senior Town Planners of Murray & Associates are able interpret your specific circumstances to the Noosa Plan 2020 and lodge a request on your behalf. Should you wish to know your opportunities for development and further information, please contact our office on 5441 2188.

I wanted to reassure you that it is ‘business as usual’ for Murray & Associates. There is no change to the reliability and timeliness of our service. We’re actively following the advice from the Australian Government, the Department of Health and WHO and we will adjust our position as necessary to ensure a safe environment and minimise the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Our main priority at Murray & Associates is to ensure the health and safety of both our clients, visitors and team members. We will continue to assist with all your project needs via office landline, mobile and email as we try to maintain social distancing safe practices. Our field staff are still providing surveying services within the restrictions and measures implemented to mitigate associated risks as a result of the virus. Our offices will continue to be open 8:30am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, until otherwise directed by government. Please contact us on 07 5441 2188 if you have any questions.

Murray & Associates QLD Pty Ltd is pleased to announce that it has been authorised to undertake the survey monitoring of Seqwater referable dams. This monitoring will assist Seqwater with its assessments that form part of the obligations to meet the Queensland Dam Safety Guidelines. The monitoring will involve comprehensive risk assessments and high accuracy terrestrial surveying to deliver meaningful and valuable data on dam performance. Murray & Associates QLD Pty Ltd has been providing monitoring and performance data for some of the referable dams for more than a decade and look forward to the opportunity to continue this important service delivery.

Nambour CBD is set to be the heart of the Sunshine Coast’s live music scene. The Sunshine Coast Council has approved the Planning Scheme 2014 (Qualified State Interest Amendment) and Planning Scheme Policy (Amendment) No.21 on 15 January 2020, designating part of Nambour’s activity centre as a special entertainment precinct. The amendments to noise and planning laws change how entertainment venues are regulated, including live music venues, restaurants, bars and micro-breweries across Nambour and Maroochydore CBD’s. With the head office of Murray & Associates on Nambour’s Currie Street, we’re excited to see a new CBD evolve and bring with it a fresh vibrancy. If you have any questions about how the amendments may impact your business or residence, give us a call and we will happily discuss it with you. A full copy of the amendment can be viewed and downloaded from Council’s website www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/planningscheme .