Capabilities
Our capabilities
UPco’s experienced team provides a comprehensive range of planning services – all of which help our clients realise the potential of their development aspirations.
We also work closely with other specialist consultants, such as architects, transport planners, landscape architects, lawyers, economists and engineers, and others, to ensure the process is efficient, effective, cohesive and coordinated.
We also work closely with other specialist consultants, such as architects, transport planners, landscape architects, lawyers, economists and engineers, and others, to ensure the process is efficient, effective, cohesive and coordinated.
Services we provide
UPco is here to help you at every stage of the planning process – here’s an overview of the various services we specialise in.
Advisory services
Planning advice & interpretations
UPco specialises in providing advice to clients about all things planning. This includes advice on land issues and on the redevelopment potential (and challenges) involved with specific properties and sites. We also advise clients on how to navigate the complex planning process, formulating a strategy that will set them up for success.
Strategic planning investigations, advice & reports
If you’re seeking some expert guidance on strategic planning, UPco would love to help. We’ve helped a wide range of clients with everything from the review and rezoning of land to master planning, and we’re proud of the results we’ve achieved.
Due diligence
When one of our clients wants to find out the value (and potential) of a property or site, we carry out all the background research and analysis required to find out. Through thorough due diligence, we give clients an accurate understanding of what a property is potentially worth, and any risks they may need to be aware of.
UPco specialises in providing advice to clients about all things planning. This includes advice on land issues and on the redevelopment potential (and challenges) involved with specific properties and sites. We also advise clients on how to navigate the complex planning process, formulating a strategy that will set them up for success.
Strategic planning investigations, advice & reports
If you’re seeking some expert guidance on strategic planning, UPco would love to help. We’ve helped a wide range of clients with everything from the review and rezoning of land to master planning, and we’re proud of the results we’ve achieved.
Due diligence
When one of our clients wants to find out the value (and potential) of a property or site, we carry out all the background research and analysis required to find out. Through thorough due diligence, we give clients an accurate understanding of what a property is potentially worth, and any risks they may need to be aware of.
Project services
Permit applications and development approvals
UPco has helped clients obtain planning permits and development approvals (including Statements of Environmental Effects for our NSW clients) for a huge variety of development projects, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial and institutional. We handle everything from the preparation of reports to accompany submissions, right through to the management of the approvals process. Liaising with councils and approval authorities is one of the things we do best.
State Significant Development
When it comes to State Significant Development, our experience makes all the difference. From concept to approval, we expertly guide a variety of projects across a range of development types. We prepare Scoping Reports, Environmental Impact Statements, Responses to Submissions and Project Amendment Reports, harnessing our skills and accreditation under the Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner scheme. We credit our success to a strong track record in managing all necessary inputs and steps on behalf of our clients, including design excellence processes.
Coordination of specialist expertise
At UPco, we frequently work with other specialists and consultants, including architects, landscape architects, transport lawyers, economists and engineers. We confidently take the lead to manage all these inputs, ensuring that the process is streamlined and simple for our clients. We’ve also built a network of the best in the business, so we can always access the right expert for the job.
Community engagement
Having the community on board certainly makes the development process run more smoothly – and at UPco, we’re experienced in collecting, analysing and responding to stakeholder feedback. We often handle the entire community consultation process on our clients’ behalf from start to finish, guaranteeing consistency throughout.
Policy development
Planning policy sets the stage for what’s possible in the world of development – but it’s rarely straightforward. We help many clients to review and interpret existing planning policies that affect their project outcomes, to propose amendments, and to develop new policy guidelines and codes.
Planning scheme amendments and planning proposals
Whether you’re in the public or private sector, UPco can help you prepare, lodge and manage any planning scheme amendment requests and planning proposals you may require. Quite often, we do this in tandem with a permit or development approval application, which helps us get an outcome as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Design competitions and reviews
We have a track record of managing a range of design excellence processes, including mandated and voluntary design competitions and guiding State Significant Development through the State Design Review Panel. With carefully considered strategies alongside stakeholder briefing and management, we help set your project up for success.
Independent assessment and advisory
Our team is involved in advising a range of government and tertiary education sector clients on planning pathways to achieve timely development results. We can assist with authoring Review of Environment Factors documentation, and we’ve put this into practice on a diverse range of Crown developments. We’ve also mastered the art of assessing view loss and visual matters as part of Visual Impact Assessments, where we take an objective approach and use specific methodologies to best support development applications.
UPco has helped clients obtain planning permits and development approvals (including Statements of Environmental Effects for our NSW clients) for a huge variety of development projects, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial and institutional. We handle everything from the preparation of reports to accompany submissions, right through to the management of the approvals process. Liaising with councils and approval authorities is one of the things we do best.
State Significant Development
When it comes to State Significant Development, our experience makes all the difference. From concept to approval, we expertly guide a variety of projects across a range of development types. We prepare Scoping Reports, Environmental Impact Statements, Responses to Submissions and Project Amendment Reports, harnessing our skills and accreditation under the Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner scheme. We credit our success to a strong track record in managing all necessary inputs and steps on behalf of our clients, including design excellence processes.
Coordination of specialist expertise
At UPco, we frequently work with other specialists and consultants, including architects, landscape architects, transport lawyers, economists and engineers. We confidently take the lead to manage all these inputs, ensuring that the process is streamlined and simple for our clients. We’ve also built a network of the best in the business, so we can always access the right expert for the job.
Community engagement
Having the community on board certainly makes the development process run more smoothly – and at UPco, we’re experienced in collecting, analysing and responding to stakeholder feedback. We often handle the entire community consultation process on our clients’ behalf from start to finish, guaranteeing consistency throughout.
Policy development
Planning policy sets the stage for what’s possible in the world of development – but it’s rarely straightforward. We help many clients to review and interpret existing planning policies that affect their project outcomes, to propose amendments, and to develop new policy guidelines and codes.
Planning scheme amendments and planning proposals
Whether you’re in the public or private sector, UPco can help you prepare, lodge and manage any planning scheme amendment requests and planning proposals you may require. Quite often, we do this in tandem with a permit or development approval application, which helps us get an outcome as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Design competitions and reviews
We have a track record of managing a range of design excellence processes, including mandated and voluntary design competitions and guiding State Significant Development through the State Design Review Panel. With carefully considered strategies alongside stakeholder briefing and management, we help set your project up for success.
Independent assessment and advisory
Our team is involved in advising a range of government and tertiary education sector clients on planning pathways to achieve timely development results. We can assist with authoring Review of Environment Factors documentation, and we’ve put this into practice on a diverse range of Crown developments. We’ve also mastered the art of assessing view loss and visual matters as part of Visual Impact Assessments, where we take an objective approach and use specific methodologies to best support development applications.
Expert representation services
Witnesses
Several UPco directors have built a reputation as extremely thorough, reliable and credible expert witnesses and make regular appearances as expert witnesses in planning jurisdictions at Courts and Tribunals in Victoria and NSW.
Advocacy
UPco team members are also frequently asked to appear as advocates for our clients – whether it’s at a Court, Tribunal or panel hearing, or at a Council meeting or community forum. As leaders in our field who are passionate about getting great outcomes, we enjoy the opportunity to apply our specialist skills in this way.
Several UPco directors have built a reputation as extremely thorough, reliable and credible expert witnesses and make regular appearances as expert witnesses in planning jurisdictions at Courts and Tribunals in Victoria and NSW.
Advocacy
UPco team members are also frequently asked to appear as advocates for our clients – whether it’s at a Court, Tribunal or panel hearing, or at a Council meeting or community forum. As leaders in our field who are passionate about getting great outcomes, we enjoy the opportunity to apply our specialist skills in this way.