On the Road with Our NSW Town Planner – A Month in the Life of PlanBE
- Plan BE
- 7 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Over the past month, our NSW town planner has been on the road, travelling across regional communities to meet with clients, collaborate with councils, and bring local projects to life. From the misty escarpments of the Blue Mountains to the rural heartlands of Wagga Wagga, every stop has been a reminder of why we love what we do; helping people shape spaces that work beautifully within their surroundings.
The Blue Mountains – Wentworth Falls
Returning to Wentworth Falls felt like revisiting our roots, both personally and professionally. Our senior town planner, Kristy, grew up in the Blue Mountains, spending her early years along the strip from Blackheath to Blaxland, and beyond. It’s a landscape she knows intimately; the winding roads, sandstone ridges, and crisp mountain air that define this part of NSW are woven into her story as much as they are into her professional journey.
With their career taking formation while working within Penrith City Council; Kristy understands the unique character and environmental sensitivity that make this region so special. Projects here often require balancing heritage preservation with modern functionality. From extensions to traditional weatherboard cottages, to new dwellings on bushfire-prone land.
Whether assessing a site tucked among gum trees or advising on developments within heritage precincts, Kristy’s deep familiarity with the Blue Mountains gives her a distinctive edge, combining technical expertise with an instinctive understanding of the land and community that shaped her.
Queanbeyan, Braidwood and Bungendore – Balancing Growth and Character
Heading south, we spent time in Queanbeyan and Bungendore, where growth is thriving but history remains key. Working closely with Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, we helped ensure new development proposals respect the established streetscape and community identity.
Recent initiatives, like the Braidwood Heritage Interpretation Plan, reflect how smart planning can preserve character while supporting progress.
Araluen and Mongarlowe – Rural and Environmental Planning
Travelling through the rolling hills of Araluen and Mongarlowe, our work focused on rural and environmental planning, where every site presents its own story. From access challenges and topography to vegetation protection and water management, projects in these regions demand practical, site-specific solutions.
Our senior town planner has been based within Araluen for several years, giving her first-hand understanding of the unique environmental conditions that shape development in the area. Having navigated the realities of rural living herself, Kristy brings invaluable local insight into the planning process; particularly around on-site sewage management systems, storm water control, and land capability assessments that are essential for sustainable development on larger rural lots.
Her lived experience means she knows how crucial it is to design with the landscape, not against it. She’s worked on numerous properties in and around Araluen and Mongarlowe, helping landowners manage environmental constraints while achieving their goals for home extensions, new dwellings, or rural tourism ventures.
Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga – NSW Town Planner visiting Regional Hubs
Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga showcased the diversity of planning challenges across regional NSW, from small-lot expansions to complex environmental considerations. These towns continue to grow as regional hubs, balancing vibrant community life with a strong agricultural and industrial foundation.
PlanBE operates from a second office location, based in Forest Hill, a growing outer suburb of Wagga Wagga. This local presence means our consultancy is well-positioned to support clients throughout the Riverina and South West Slopes regions, offering accessible services for both residential, commercial, and rural developments.
Over her career, Kristy has contributed to a range of environmental and sustainability projects in and around Wagga Wagga. Their deep understanding of the region’s climate, soil profiles, and infrastructure planning requirements ensures every proposal is carefully tailored to local conditions; balancing innovation, compliance, and community values.
This month, our planner met with surveyors, homeowners, and businesses across Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga, offering practical advice to ensure each project progresses smoothly from concept to approval.
Batemans Bay – Coastal Planning with Care
On the coast at Batemans Bay, projects bring a different set of considerations: coastal hazards, flooding, bushfire interface, acid sulphate soils, visual impact, and the need to protect biodiversity and foreshore corridors along the Clyde River.
Working with Eurobodalla Shire Council frameworks, we focus on siting and design choices that respect the shoreline, manage risk, and keep approvals moving.
For homeowners and small businesses, this often means:
Siting & setbacks: aligning building envelopes and foreshore setbacks to reduce inundation/erosion risk while preserving outlooks and riparian vegetation.
Hazard management: early checks for flood planning levels, coastal hazard lines, and bushfire APZs, integrated with driveway and service layouts.
Soils & water: assessing acid sulphate soils, storm water quality and overland flow paths, with practical on-site solutions that protect waterways.
Character & views: sensitive massing, materials and landscaping to maintain streetscape character and protect view corridors.
Use changes & small tourism: clear pathways for change of use, short-stay/tourism proposals, and secondary dwellings/dual occupancy that meet parking, access and infrastructure standards.
PlanBE's connectivity and climate-resilience background strengthens our approach here: translating landscape-scale corridor mapping to coastal settings by maintaining riparian links and foreshore vegetation, and applying the PPRR (Plan–Prepare–Respond–Recover) lens to coastal and flood risk.
The Journey – Connecting Communities Across NSW
Over 2,000 kilometres later, this month’s travels reaffirm what makes PlanBE different. We’re not just planners behind a desk; we’re on the ground, visiting your communities, apart of the local footprint, and understanding each region’s unique planning landscape.
Whether it’s a small lot in the Blue Mountains or a rural property in Araluen, every project starts with the same principle: Every project needs a PlanBE.
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