At the inception of RCI planning, Stephen’s depth of council experience means that providing VCAT advocacy for local government is a key focus of his practice. Stephen brings a strong background in council planning and VCAT advocacy to this work, and his aim is to be the planner of choice for the local government sector.
Understanding local government’s needs
Stephen has fifteen years of planning experience, most of which has been spent at local government. This means that he intimately understand the special needs of the sector. In particular, he recognises that advocates for local government need to able to firmly make their case while simultaneously serving the Tribunal as a dispassionate representative of the responsible authority.
He is also acutely aware of the political sensitivities that frequently surround local government representation. These require advocates to have discretion and patience with third parties as the advocate will be perceived as a de facto representative for the council itself.
Representing local government is therefore a unique kind of advocacy that requires a different approach to that needed when representing permit applicants or objectors. Councils need advocates who understand this.
Depth of technical knowledge
In addition to his experience as a Council planner, Stephen is currently the Planning Editor of the Victorian Planning Reports, the leading reporting service for VCAT planning cases. In addition, he lectures in statutory planning at RMIT and has commented widely on planning matters for publications including Planning News (which he co-edited from 2007 to 2010), The Age, and Crikey. He worked in the Systems Reform unit at the former Department of Planning & Community Development, where he contributed to various VPP reviews and the review of the Planning & Environment Act. He has further broadened his policy knowledge through service as Policy Convenor for the Planning Institute’s Victorian commitee.
This background gives Stephen a special depth of knowledge of planning systems, schemes and legislation. This makes him perfect for more “technical” cases that for one reason or another – be it cost, or the need for a planners’ feel for the issues – are not a good fit for a lawyer. Even mundane cases can throw up unexpected challenges, and Stephen’s background means that you can be confident of assured representation should problems arise.
Advocacy skills
Stephen brings advocacy skills honed not just through many years of representing councils, but also through lecturing, writing on planning, and speaking at industry events. As mentioned above, Stephen understands the special challenges involved in persuasively presenting a planning case while representing the responsible authority.
Affordability
RCI Planning is a single-planner consultancy and has very few overheads. This lets Stephen provide you with the skills of a highly experienced planner at very competitive rates.