Planners develop strategies and design the communities in which we live, work and play.
Balancing the built and natural environment, community needs, cultural significance, and economic sustainability, planners aim to improve our quality of life and create vibrant communities.
As well as assessing development proposals and devising policies to guide future development, planners work in areas as diverse as housing, energy, health, education, communications, leisure, tourism and transport. They create new and revitalise existing public spaces, conserve places of heritage and enhance community value.
City of Mount Gambier Development Plan
Planning Consent involves the assessment of a proposal against the provisions of the Development Plan for the council area. The purpose of this process is to ensure development that:
Development Plans are regularly amended to reflect updated local council or State Government policy, introduce changes to zoning, or to implement a new vision for future development.
Policies contained within Council's Development Plan can only be changed through a formal, statutory Development Plan Amendment (DPA) process, which is prescribed in The Development Act 1993.
The statutory Development Plan Amendment process can be commenced by either Council or the State Minister for Urban Development and Planning. The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure website contains further information regarding the DPA process.
Under Section 83 of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, Council must establish a Council Assessment Panel (CAP). The Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 has determined that all Council Assessment Panels must be comprised of not more than five members - one of which is an Elected Member of the Council and four whom are independent (meaning that they are not Elected Members of the Council or Members of State Parliament). The CAP operates in accordance with its Terms of Reference and meeting procedures (refer to link below).
The primary role of CAP is to determine whether or not to grant Development Plan Consent for development applications under the Development Act 1993. The CAP makes its decisions in accordance with the provision contained within the Mount Gambier (City) Development Plan. Council cannot influence or overturn any decision made by the CAP.
In addition to its statutory role, the CAP is able to provide advice to Council in regard to development trends, planning issues or other matters that have become apparent through its consideration of development applications.
Membership of the CAP, including the appointment of the CAP Presiding Member (who must be an independent member), is decided by Council. Membership to the CAP is based on:
The Council Assessment Panel meets on the third Thursday of each month at the City of Mount Gambier Council Chamber, 10 Watson Terrace Mount Gambier, commencing at 5:45pm (unless otherwise determined).