The Council Conversations That Shaped My Approach to Planning

There are some planning moments you forget as soon as the permit is issued.

And then there are the ones that stay with you for years.

For me, many of those moments have involved council officers, neighbours, objections, presentations, and the quiet pressure of trying to guide a project through a process that does not always feel fair or predictable. After more than 250 permits across Victoria and interstate, I have come to understand that planning is not only a technical profession. It is a human one.

One of the earliest lessons I learned came through a dual occupancy subdivision of my own. The proposal met with strong resistance from wealthy neighbours, including concerns about a heritage-listed tree and the character of the area. At times, it felt like every part of the process was working against the project. Yet after presenting the matter to full Council, the councillors supported it. That experience stayed with me because it reminded me that persistence still matters, especially when the odds feel stacked against you.

Another matter involved a practical issue with a car turning circle on a proposed dual occupancy site. In that case, a planning manager took the time to sit down with the swept-path diagram and genuinely work through the problem. It was a small moment, but it made a lasting impression. That is often what separates a difficult process from a workable one: not perfection, but willingness.

I have also seen the opposite side of the profession. There have been times when a matter was otherwise well resolved, but the discussion became stuck on minor details. In one case, the issue turned to very low retaining wall heights even though the main planning and design concerns had already been addressed.

It can be frustrating when the focus shifts away from the broader intent of a proposal, but those experiences sharpen your understanding of how to navigate the system with patience and clarity.

The best support I recently got was for a large mixed-use project. Week after week, the officers kept throwing stumbling blocks in the way. Then a new officer came along, a PhD engineer, and she saw what was happening immediately. She agreed that the bureaucracy around such a major project had become a joke. She took matters into her own hands, wrote a supportive report, and issued the permit. That kind of clear thinking is rare, and when it happens, it can completely change the course of a project.

When I think back, each planning application has been interesting in its own way.

In one council, the officers used to say to me, “Swarup, you know what is right — just do it, we are behind you.” In that same council, I also got a permit for a wedge-shaped block, literally a small triangle, which became a very successful outcome.

In another matter, a highly contemporary dual occupancy unlike anything else in the streetscape won support from the planning manager despite objections. It was a super house with spectacular harbour views. Later, I found out that the same manager also developed property and thought differently from most planning officers who have never had the courage to take the risk and develop. That perspective made a lot of sense to me.

One of the most significant planning applications I ever worked on was my own waterfront block that was originally seen as impossible to rezone for residential use. It took two years and a presentation right up to council management, but the outcome was successful. A house was built, the site proved its potential, and the property later sold for $5.72 million.

More than the result itself, what I remember most is the feeling that a difficult idea had finally been given a chance to become real.

Looking back, I think those are the projects that shape you most. Not the smooth ones, but the ones that challenge your confidence and force you to keep going. They teach you how to read people better, how to frame a proposal more clearly, and how to stay calm when the process becomes slow or unpredictable.

That is why I still value every tough council interaction. Even the frustrating ones become part of the knowledge base you carry forward. Over time, they shape your judgment, your resilience, and your ability to guide the next project with a steadier hand.

Contact me if you too are facing a tough time at Council.