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SUGGESTIONS
FOR NEIGHBOURS Back to DA
Pocessing
1. If you are concerned to find out the status of a DA, you
can access Lane Cove Council's Web page to find out more. If
the information you want is not yet available, you can ring
Council offices to try to find out more - quoting, if possible,
the DA number on the notification you received, or (if you find
it) from the Web page.
2. If the reviewing Council officer has judged the DA compliant
enough to be determined under delegated authority (and if your
ward councillors have not requested the matter be referred to
the Planning and Building Committee) there is not much more
you can do.
3. If, on the other hand, the matter is listed for discussion
at a Planning and Building Committee meeting, and you care deeply
enough about the issues, it is essential that you:
(a) - Access and review the Council officer's report over the
2-3 days it is available before the meeting (you can also discuss
the report with Council officers as well),
(b) - Prepare your comments succinctly so you can raise them
clearly at the meeting,
(c) - Discuss your concerns with other potential objectors,
and encourage them to come to the meeting if they can, and
(d) - Elect a primary spokesperson, if possible, who can most
clearly summarise to the meeting the combined points you wish
to make.
4. It would be a good idea for concerned persons to meet together
prior to the Council meeting to coordinate their approach.
5. Try to be fair and reasonable in the points you make, and
in how you express them. This is more likely to foster a reasonable
response from the Applicant in the event some compromise is
possible.
6. Be sure to address only the issues under review, and avoid
making wider or wilder assertions that could give rise to claims
of libel or defamation against you.
7. These same comments apply if consideration of the DA is referred
to an Inspection or full Council meeting. You still have the
opportunity to speak at both venues, but site meetings can be
difficult places for constructive discussion, and you have a
much more limited opportunity to speak at a full Council meeting.
8. You are, of course, free to phone your local ward Councillors
at any time during the review process to express your concerns
or points of view. Please try to limit the number and duration
of such calls, however, as your elected Councillors have many
matters to deal with, and have their own lives to lead too.
9. As a matter of course, all Councillors are made aware of
submissions made in relation to each DA on which they may be
asked to vote. It may help your cause, however, to provide early
copies of your correspondence direct to one or more of your
ward Councillors.
10. If there are additional points you wish to make direct to
one or more of your ward Councillors after reviewing a Council
officer's report (e.g. just prior to a Planning and Building
Committee meeting) you will likely need to fax, e-mail or hand-deliver
these yourself. Meeting papers are usually only sent out to
Councillors a few days before these meetings, and it is unlikely
you will see copies of any part of these before they are sent
out.
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