Wollongong City Council

Town planner Development Assessment Urban Release

At Wollongong City Council we have a steadfast commitment to creating an Extraordinary Wollongong. We are in an exciting period of transformation and focused on delivering exceptional services, infrastructure and facilities for our community.

Our strength is the diversity of our people. Together our responsibility is to create an inclusive place where everyone is welcome, valued and belongs. We lead with courage, openness and curiosity. Our conversations and actions celebrate diversity, inclusion and belonging. Learn more about us here.

About the Role

Join our team as a Town Planner - Planning and Development Assessment Urban Release. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to working with the community and applicants to develop cohesive strategies and projects that will shape the future of Wollongong's Urban Release areas. Our Urban Release team is a small, focused group that prides itself on being an integral part of the larger Council team through continuous engagement and collaboration across various Council divisions.

We are seeking a planner (town planner) with experience in Development Assessment and, ideally, Urban Release planning. In this role, you will collaborate closely with the Urban Release team and key stakeholders, including development applicants, state agencies, the community and other Council teams, to achieve quality outcomes that align with the strategic vision for West Dapto, the Illawarra's largest release area.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on Concept Development Application assessments within the Urban Release areas, in close collaboration with the Council's Development Assessment and Certification team.

This is a part-time, 18-month term contract role with the possibility of extension, working 14 hours per week. Salary $50.82/hr up to$70.17/hr plus superannuation (salary package will be assessed based on skills, experience and qualifications).

What You will be doing:

In this role, you will Contribute to creating an Extraordinary Wollongong! You will assess complex applications, focusing on Concept Development Applications (DAs) within an Urban Release environment. The Urban Release team is currently considering Concept Development Applications ranging in size and scale, from 200 to approximately 1,000 residential lots. Additional DA referral advice may also be required occasionally. This will involve coordinating multi-disciplinary referral team inputs and ensuring consistency with statutory requirements, adopted codes/policies, and sound development control principles and practices.

You will liaise with stakeholders, including the development industry, the community, staff, and Senior Management. This includes negotiating with applicants, facilitating outcomes between applicants and objectors, and participating in mediation processes where necessary. This will require preparing statements of evidence and appearing as an expert witness in defence of appeals and other actions in the Land and Environment Court as required. As well, preparing policies, reports, submissions, and providing advice within strict deadlines.

Representing the City Strategy Division on internal/external committees and working parties on behalf of other team members, you will undertake site inspections at various stages in the context of development assessment and other Urban Release functions. You will also prepare reports for and attend Council meetings and briefings as required and contribute to the preparation of Local Environmental Plans, Development Control Plans, Precinct Plans, and Technical Policies as needed.

About you:

Along with your extensive Planning and Development Assessment experience, you will hold a degree qualification in Town Planning or other discipline related to the position.

You will leverage your excellent communication and liaison skills to effectively manage multiple stakeholders throughout the assessment of complex Development Applications.

You thrive working independently and within a small, specialist Urban Release team while contributing to the collective goals of the team and Council for the Urban Release Areas.

Benefits of working at Council:

• We provide flexible working arrangements such as hybrid working and flex- you just need to ask!
• We are value-led, support and encourage personal and professional growth, recognise and reward performance and embrace change.
• We provide generous leave provisions including 5 weeks annual leave per year of service
• We are committed to providing a safe working environment for all, (everyone, every day and everywhere) and make available wellbeing programs to support mental, physical and social wellbeing of our staff to be at their best.

Interested?

For more information, click on Apply to be redirected to Wollongong City Council's E-recruitment site.

Contact David Fitzgibbon, Urban Release Manager, on (02) 4227 8652 for questions related to the job

For assistance in submitting your application, please contact the Talent Acquisition Team on (02) 4227 7065.

Applications close 11:59pm, Monday 3 March 2025.

We encourage applications from everyone regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, cultural background, faith, disability or gender identity. People with disability are encouraged to reach out so they can be supported in recruitment processes, to enable them to demonstrate their skills and capabilities to meet the requirements of the job.

Wollongong Council adheres to the principles of a child safe organisation and is committed to the care and protection of all children and young people in the community.

Applicants are required to undergo a rigorous employment screening process which will include Reference, Identity and Medical History Checks, and may also include a Criminal History and Working with Children Check. Employment is subject to clearance of all these checks.