2021-02-09 Planning and Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                          9 FEBRUARY 2021


6     REPORTS FOR NOTING BY THE COMMITTEE


7     DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT FEES & CHARGES VARIATIONS FOR 1 JULY TO
      31 DECEMBER 2020


Author             Manager Development Assessment, Kerri Coyle
                   Environment & Sustainable Development Department

Index              ECM/ Subject/ Fees and Charges

Attachments        Nil



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Manger Development Assessment to Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 9 February 2021 regarding waiver or partial waiver of development
application fees for 1 July to 31 December 2020 as detailed in the report.


REPORT
As part of Council’s budget each year, Council adopts its Fees and Charges for the financial year,
including its regulatory and commercial charges for lodgement of development applications.
The fees and charges policy for development applications cover a number of policy provisions
including delegation to the Director, Environment & Sustainable Development to “partially or wholly
waive a development fee where strict application of the scheduled fee is obviously unreasonable for
the type of application being received.”
This report identifies proposed applications where a fee variation has been granted for the last 6
months. Between 1 July 2020 and 31 December 2020 there were 11 proposed applications where a
partial waiver or full waiver of the development application fees was granted, with 6 agreed to, 4
requests agreed to in part and 1 refused. The tables below sets out a summary of each application
and the reason for the fee waiver.
 Application No     Applicant             Application            Fees & Charges           Fee proposed
                                          Details                Policy
 132004.5633.03     35 Rules Road         Other Change           $6,164.50 (original      $6,164.50
                    Pomona –              Impact (Additional     fee is $12,329 but
                    Vipassana Centre      Accommodations         50% reduction is
                    Qld                   Rooms, Meditation      applied as not for
                                          Halls & Facilities)    profit organisation)
 The applicant is seeking a complete waiver of the application fees for an Other Change application. The
 application seeks approval to extend the existing centre by a further 1867m2.
 The organisation freely offers residential courses at no charge. The course includes lodging and meals for
 10 days. The applicant advises that the teachers conducting the course, managers and kitchen workers all
 provide their services on a voluntary basis and receive no remuneration. The centre is run by donations.
 The applicant is eligible for a 50% discount to their application fees being a not for profit organisation in
 accordance with Council’s fees and charges policy. However, a complete waiver is not reasonable given
 Council will incur costs in assessing the application.


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