Level Planning
A contemporary home set into the lush Northern Rivers landscape at golden hour

Town Planning Consultancy — Northern NSW

Town Planning · Development Applications · Portal Lodgements

Boutique town planning for residential, commercial, and rural projects across Northern New South Wales.

Start your enquiryCall 0432 578 121
Detail of a modern Australian home — timber battens and off-form concrete amid subtropical greenery

Our approach

Bridging the gap between vision and approval

Level Planning is a boutique town planning consultancy based in Northern New South Wales, providing tailored planning services and development solutions across residential, commercial, and rural projects. From the earliest stages of design through to planning approval and construction, we provide clear and practical guidance throughout the development journey. Drawing on extensive experience within both the public and private sectors, we help landowners, developers, and design teams confidently navigate the complexities of the NSW planning system. Our approach is collaborative, responsive, and outcome-focused — effectively bridging the gap between vision and approval to help bring projects to life.

  • Collaborative

    We work alongside your design team and council rather than in a silo — so everyone is pulling toward the same approval.

  • Responsive

    Clear, timely communication throughout. You'll always know where your application stands and what comes next.

  • Outcome-focused

    The aim is an approval that lets your project proceed. Every document we prepare is written with that outcome in mind.

What we do

Town planning services

Practical, straightforward town planning support. Whether you're building a new home, renovating, or simply seeking advice, we'll guide you through the process with confidence and clarity.

  • Development Applications

    Preparation and lodgement of your development application.

  • Statements of Environmental Effects

    The written assessment that accompanies most DAs, setting out a proposal's likely impacts and how the design responds to the relevant planning controls.

  • Planning Portal Lodgement

    Submission and ongoing support through the NSW Planning Portal, the online system councils now require for most applications.

  • Section 68 Applications

    Lodgement of Local Government Act section 68 approvals for activities such as on-site sewage management and water or stormwater works.

  • Section 305–307 Applications

    Lodgement of Water Management Act applications relating to the water and sewer servicing of your development.

  • Section 138 Driveway Applications

    Roads Act section 138 approval for works within or affecting a public road — typically a new or altered driveway, kerb crossing, or access point.

  • Construction Certificates

    Lodgement of your CC on the NSW Planning Portal.

  • Complying Development Certificates

    Lodgement of your CDC on the NSW Planning Portal.

  • Pre-lodgement Support

    Preparing for and attending pre-lodgement meetings with council, so issues are surfaced and resolved before you formally apply.

  • Waste Management Plans

    Preparation of the construction and demolition waste management plans councils require alongside many applications.

Aerial view over green rural land parcels in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales

Where we work

Local knowledge across Northern New South Wales.

Residential, commercial, and rural projects across the region — backed by a practical understanding of how local councils assess them.

FAQs

Questions we hear a lot

  • What is a Development Application (DA)?

    A DA is the formal request lodged with your local council seeking consent for development — a new dwelling, an extension, a change of use, and more. It's assessed against the planning controls that apply to your land. We prepare the application and its supporting documents, then lodge and manage it on your behalf.

  • Do I need a DA, or can I use Complying Development?

    Straightforward proposals that meet set state or council standards can often be approved faster as Complying Development (a CDC) rather than a full DA. Part of our role is working out which pathway suits your project, so you don't spend time or money heading down the wrong one.

  • When should I bring in a town planner?

    As early as possible. Involving a planner at the design stage means potential issues are identified before they're locked into drawings — which usually makes for a smoother assessment and fewer surprises later on.

  • What areas and project types do you work with?

    We're a Northern New South Wales practice working across residential, commercial, and rural projects. If you're not sure whether your site is one we can help with, get in touch and we'll let you know.

  • What does lodging through the NSW Planning Portal involve?

    Most applications in NSW are now lodged and tracked online through the NSW Planning Portal. We prepare your submission, lodge it through the Portal, and support you through the requests and steps that follow.

Get started

Have a project in mind?

Tell us about your site and what you're planning. We'll talk you through the approvals pathway and what's involved — no obligation.

Email usCall 0432 578 121

Get in touch

Start your enquiry

Send a few details about your project and we'll be in touch. Prefer to talk it through? The number below reaches us directly.

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