2015-12-08 Planning and Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                 8 DECEMBER 2015


1.    Estimated timeline

The estimated timeline has been created using the current Statutory Guideline 04/14
‘Making and amending local planning instruments’ (9 October 2014), DRAFT Statutory
Instrument ‘Plan Making Rules’ (November 2015), and previous experiences of the Principal
Strategic Planners. It is anticipated that the planning scheme project will take approximately
three years once the full contingent of staff have been engaged, with the aim of a project end
date of mid-2019. Current legislative changes before the State Parliament and the
timeframe of the State Government elections in 2018 may impact the timeline, and some
contingency has been allowed for this.

A summary of the project stages and estimated timeline is shown below. Further detail of
each stage can be found on page 8 of Attachment 1.




2.    Staff resourcing
The current Strategic Land Use Planning Team consists of two part time Strategic Planners
and a Special Projects Officer, equating to two and a half full time equivalents (2.5 FTE).
Through the process of developing the project brief, staffing has been identified as one of
the most critical resource components for the planning scheme project. Current staff will
continue to be called upon for operational Council strategic planning matters, while also
supporting the significant additional requirements of the new planning scheme project.
The project brief identifies that four new full time equivalent (4 FTE) positions will be required
within the Strategic Land Use Planning Team structure for the duration of the planning
scheme project, increasing the FTE within the Strategic Planning Team to a total of six and a
half full time equivalent positions (6.5 FTE). The full contingent of the project team will be in
place by 4 July 2016, with the GIS Officer and Project Manager commencing in early 2016 in
order to undertake preparatory work for the new planning scheme. Recruitment and
appointment of the Planner and Administration Officer will occur in early-mid 2016.
Appointment of the GIS Officer and Project Manager in 2015/16 can be met within the
current financial year budget. A budget request will be made through the 2016/17 budget
development process which will include the new positions going forward, with the majority of
employee costs being attributed to the capital budget.
The four additional positions will be recruited on a fixed term basis, with the Strategic
Planning Land Use Team structure returning to 2.5 FTE at the completion of the planning
scheme project.
It should be noted that the Special Projects Officer position will be filled as required. It will
not form part of the planning scheme project team, however it will remain as part of Council’s
established organisational structure (operational). The staffing allocation for the planning
scheme project will be 5.5 FTE.




                                                                                       Page 27 of 68