CONNECTION TO COUNTRY: REGIONAL LAND USE PLANNING SERVICES
Regional planning with Country at the centre
Good regional planning is about far more than where development happens.
It is about understanding the living systems, landscapes, communities, histories, economies, cultures and relationships that make a place what it is, and making decisions that allow those things to thrive together over the long term.
With extensive experience in Victorian regional strategic planning, I offer professional land use planning services to governments, councils, community organisations, Indigenous organisations, landholders and other groups seeking to shape the future of their places.
My approach combines rigorous strategic planning with something that is often missing from conventional planning processes: putting Country first.
Rather than treating the environment, community, infrastructure, agriculture, biodiversity, water and development as separate planning considerations, I look at how they are interconnected and how planning decisions can work with the living systems of a place rather than against them.
Regional planning services
I can provide strategic planning advice, project support, research, facilitation and development of planning strategies across a broad range of regional planning issues, including:
Township Structure Planning
Strategic planning for the growth and evolution of regional towns, including settlement patterns, future development areas, community facilities, infrastructure, movement networks, open space, landscape character and environmental constraints.
Precinct Structure Planning
Strategic planning for new and emerging growth areas, integrating land use, movement, infrastructure, open space, biodiversity, water, community facilities and landscape to create connected, sustainable and liveable places from the outset.
Rural Land Use Strategies
Planning for agricultural land, rural living, landscape protection, changing rural economies, settlement pressures and the long term role of rural land within regional communities.
Indigenous Land Management and Planning
Strategic approaches that recognise Indigenous knowledge, connection to Country, cultural landscapes and the role of Traditional Custodians in shaping the future management of land and natural systems.
Biodiversity and Landscape Planning
Strategies that place ecological systems at the centre of land use planning, including habitat connectivity, native vegetation, biodiversity protection, landscape scale conservation and ecological restoration.
Water Protection and Catchment Planning
Strategic approaches to protecting waterways, wetlands, catchments, groundwater, drainage systems and the broader ecological relationships that sustain healthy landscapes.
Open Space Strategies
Planning for parks, reserves, recreation spaces, conservation areas, trails and connected open space networks that support biodiversity, community wellbeing and meaningful connection with place.
Settlement and Growth Strategies
Understanding where and how regional communities can grow while protecting the landscapes, agricultural land, biodiversity, infrastructure and community qualities that make those places special.
Landscape and Environmental Planning
Integrating landscape character, environmental values, natural systems and development pressures into coherent strategic planning frameworks.
Strategic Planning Projects
Research, analysis, policy development, strategic frameworks, background studies, options analysis, implementation planning and project support for complex regional planning projects.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
Helping communities, governments and organisations understand complex planning issues, identify shared values and develop practical strategies for the future of their place.
A different way of planning
My approach is grounded in the belief that Country should not be something added to a planning project after the development strategy has already been conceived. Country should be where the planning begins.
That means looking first at the land, water, vegetation, biodiversity, cultural landscape, natural systems and communities that already exist, and then asking what forms of change can occur while strengthening rather than diminishing those relationships.
It means recognising that successful regional planning is not simply about accommodating growth. It is about creating places where people can live well while maintaining the ecological and cultural systems that sustain them.
This approach brings together professional planning practice with a deep personal connection to land, animals, biodiversity, ecological restoration and place.
Working with
I am available to work with:
Local governments and councils
State government agencies
Traditional Custodian and Indigenous organisations
Community organisations
Landcare and environmental organisations
Regional partnerships and community groups
Landholders and landowner groups
Other organisations seeking strategic regional planning expertise
My experience spans complex regional planning projects across Victoria, including township structure planning, rural strategy development, regional settlement planning, Indigenous land management, biodiversity protection, water protection, open space planning and broader strategic land use frameworks.
I bring a professional understanding of Victorian planning systems together with a commitment to creating planning outcomes that are ecologically responsible, socially meaningful and genuinely connected to Country.
Request a consultation
Every regional planning project is different.
The scope, scale, complexity and level of involvement can be tailored to your organisation, project or community.
Online or in person | Quote on request
Booking is free. Your booking is simply a request to discuss your project and receive a personalised quote. No payment is required at this stage.