Council should invest in more planning staff

Planning staff are the “powerhouse” of the shire’s economy, according to a representative of a development company.

Representing the Seebeck Group, which is currently developing a number of residential estates in Drouin, Nigel Hutchison last week congratulated Baw Baw Shire for taking the initiative to employ more planning staff.

Mr Hutchison, who is a planning and local government consultant for the Seebeck Group, addressed council during its meeting to hear budget submissions last week.

He said given the growth of the shire, council was severely under resourced in planning and statutory planning.

“It is always difficult when council wants to have more staff … but the statutory planning department is the powerhouse of your economy.

“These developers are investing in your economy,” he said.

Mr Hutchsion said if there were delays in planning processes, council ran the risk of developers going elsewhere.

The draft budget includes provision for one additional statutory planner.

“I congratulate council on that because the biggest return you will get on staff wages is in statutory planning.

“It is a good move allocating those resources to planning,” he said.

The shire confirmed there are currently 27.3 staff members in three planning units of strategic and community planning, priority development and statutory planning which includes planners, engineers, community/youth officers, customer and administration support.