Town planning guidance for Westpac Banks

Challenge

Westpac is Australia’s first bank and oldest company, one of four major banking organisations in Australia and one of the largest banks in New Zealand.

Westpac has enlisted the services of SLR to help them navigate planning legislation on a national scale. The primary objective is to assess whether planning approval is necessary in each state to ensure regulatory compliance. Our team helps navigate common challenges, such as deciphering complex legislation and delivering viable and pragmatic solutions to align with Westpac's financial constraints, construction timelines, and companywide expectations.

In addition to this, there are often challenges when dealing with local government authorities. Despite the similarities among various applications, they are evaluated in numerous ways, and there is often a lack of consistency among the governing bodies in their assessments. Nevertheless, SLR consistently supports to rationalise and provide a solution-oriented approach to secure timely approvals that align with Westpac's needs.

Solution

SLR provides extensive town planning guidance to Westpac concerning a range of matters related to co-located banks, bank decommissioning, bank rebranding, and signage requests. SLR has served as the primary Town Planning consultant on behalf of Westpac for more than 10 years. Our planning team supports Westpac by offering feasibility assessments, delineating planning approval routes, and preparing planning submissions.

SLR was selected to work on the project due to our ability to maintain a solution-oriented approach in resolving the challenges associated with navigating planning legislation and local government procedures. Our team applies several strategies and qualities that enable them to overcome these hurdles effectively.

Our in-depth knowledge of planning legislation and the intricacies of local government procedures in different regions, allows our team to proactively identify potential issues and develop innovative solutions tailored to each unique situation.

We maintain a close working relationship with Westpac's team, ensuring that they fully comprehend the budgets, construction timelines, and overall expectations. This collaborative approach allows SLR to align our efforts with Westpac's specific needs, making the approval process more efficient and less prone to unexpected delays.

Moreover, SLR recognises that each local government authority may have its own set of rules and preferences when it comes to evaluating planning applications. To address this challenge, SLR has years of experience with local council’s and existing rapport, maintains active engagement with these authorities. Our experts adapt their strategies to accommodate the unique requirements and preferences of each governing body, which enhances our ability to obtain approvals efficiently.

Our team carried out the submission of comprehensive planning reports and associated documentation to local government authorities. These reports and documents typically outline the project details, environmental impact assessments, compliance with regulations, and other relevant information necessary for approval.

Impact

SLR acts as a trusted technical advisor, providing advice around planning approval pathways and obtaining the appropriate permits for Westpac's projects. Our team supports Westpac by navigating through the complexity of planning legislation and local government procedures to secure the necessary permits and authorisations, delivering planning reports and associated documents in a timely and efficient manner.

SLR has provided planning approval and advice for hundreds of different sites across Australia, showcasing our expertise, demonstrating the successful, trusted partnership we share with Westpac. This collaboration is marked by consistent goal achievement, timely project delivery, cost-efficiency, trust, and a favourable industry reputation. The enduring relationship between SLR and Westpac has proven highly effective in navigating Australia's complex regulations.