After focusing on the Victorian market for the last three decades, UPco has decided the time is right to expand – and in October 2025, we officially open an office in Sydney. It’s an exciting evolution of our business, and one that will enable us to cater for new and existing clients with projects right across NSW.

Our clients had been enquiring about our capacity to service their planning needs in NSW, but we took our time to determine the best way to make this step forward. We wanted to ensure that our NSW clients would receive the same high level of service and expertise that our Victorian clients do from day one – and to achieve this, we needed to find the right expertise and local knowledge to add to our team.

On 7th October 2025, we welcome Daniel Howard to UPco as a Director and NSW lead. A highly skilled Sydney-based planner with 15+ years’ experience in this market, Daniel previously worked as a Director for a major nationwide consultancy and has a strong track record and knowledge of the NSW planning system. Importantly, his approach and values align very well with ours, making him a great cultural fit.

Daniel’s experience encompasses strategic and statutory planning, advisory services, project management and stakeholder engagement – and he has worked across a range of land use types and industries, including residential, commercial, logistics and education. Complex and challenging sites are Daniel’s forte, particularly urban renewal and transformation projects across Sydney.

“While the NSW planning system is currently undergoing change to bring more certainty to things like assessment timeframes, it’s certainly still complex – and getting the right advice is more important than ever,” says Daniel.

“I’m looking forward to providing this expertise for UPco and leading projects on behalf of our valued clients.”

“Quality planning strategy and pathway advice can really help clients unlock value from their developments. My focus is on working collaboratively to get the ingredients right to achieve maximised commercial results on projects whilst realising better planning outcomes for development.”

“My focus is on working collaboratively to get the ingredients right.”
– Daniel Howard, UPco Director NSW

As our presence in NSW becomes more established, we anticipate that our team will grow in response to what our clients need. We look forward to welcoming new enquiries and having the chance to put our brand to work in Sydney!

UPco’s Sydney office is located at Level 11, 10 Carrington Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Daniel Howard can be reached on +61 2 8551 2444 or via email at dhoward@upco.com.au

View all articles