Council’s New Development Concierge Service Receives Positive Communit

Published on 20 January 2025

Council’s New Development Concierge Service Receives Positive Community Response, Offering Expert Guidance for Smaller Projects

Council’s new development concierge service is generating a great response from the community.

Already, several development applicants have sought the assistance of Council to navigate the New South Wales Planning Portal, but there’s always room for more, explained Environmental Services Director Larissa Hackett.

“The addition of the concierge service last year has worked really well with our existing planning advice service,” Ms Hackett said.

“We’ve always provided informal planning advice plus a formal pre-Development Application advice for major projects, but the addition of the concierge service has enabled us to help people in the community at the other end of the development scale – smaller projects run by people who are not familiar with the NSW Government’s online services, or maybe just don’t have access to the technical equipment, like scanners and printers.”

The concierge service aims to assist with the online lodgment of Development Applications via the NSW Planning Portal.

Council staff can work one on one with people to upload their documents electronically to their Planning Portal account and Development Application.

The concierge service is a technology access assistance service. It partners with Council’s existing planning advice service, which helps people identify what documents are needed for their applications, what planning legislation applies, and which controls they need to consider for their project.

Council’s planning team can be accessed via phone call, email or counter inquiry. Email is preferred for more detailed planning inquiries, so that customers have a record to which they can refer back and follow, rather than trying to remember a conversation.

Ms Hackett urged the community to continue using these free services so that community members receive professional Council advice, rather than relying on hearsay, marketing, sales pressure or just guessing.

For more information, contact Cowra Council Communications on: 02 6340 2086

or email: communications@cowra.nsw.gov.au

“There is a lot of general confusion about new terms such as tiny homes, portable homes and container homes,” she explained.

“The state government has also recently introduced new agritourism planning controls that need to be carefully read to see how they apply to each circumstance.

“Before spending your hard earned money, please consult with our planning team for unbiased, professional advice about what you are thinking of buying, as well as where and how you are allowed to install it.”

Council’s planning team can be contacted on 6340 2040 and via council@cowra.nsw.gov.au for general planning advice. To book its development application concierge service, please contact Nicole on the same number. Help is also available on Cowra Council’s website via its Development Application Guide.

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