At Clear Consultants, we help homeowners, builders, and small business owners navigate the NSW planning system with clear, practical advice. From Development Applications and modifications to resolving Council issues and unauthorised works, we guide projects from start to finish.
Based on the NSW South Coast and working across the state, we focus on straightforward planning solutions, responsive communication, and helping clients move through the approval process with confidence.
If your project requires Council approval, Clear Consultants can manage the process from start to finish. We prepare planning reports including Statement of Environmental Effects, coordinate plans and supporting documentation, and manage communication with Council throughout the assessment process.
We also coordinate specialist consultants where required, including architects, engineers, bushfire consultants, stormwater designers, surveyors, and certifiers, helping keep the process organised and moving forward.
Whether it’s a new home, additions, change of use, subdivision, or small commercial project, we provide practical planning advice and project coordination from lodgement through to determination.
Some projects may qualify for a faster approval pathway through a private certifier instead of a full Development Application. Clear Consultants can assess whether your project meets the requirements and coordinate the approval process from start to finish.
We work closely with certifiers, architects, and other consultants to ensure the required documentation is prepared correctly and approvals stay on track.
If a structure has been built without approval, or Council has raised concerns about existing works, a Building Information Certificate may help regularise the situation.
Clear Consultants assists with unauthorised works, and coordinating the consultants and supporting information often required by Council, including engineers, certifiers, bushfire consultants, and other specialist reports.
Good planning advice at the beginning of a project can save significant time, money, and stress later on.
Before committing to plans, purchasing property, or lodging an application, Clear Consultants provides straightforward advice about what may be possible under the planning controls affecting your site, including identifying likely approval pathways and consultant requirements early
Received a Council notice, stop work order, or compliance letter? Clear Consultants helps clients understand the issue, prepare a response strategy, and work toward a practical outcome.
We can also coordinate the consultants, documentation, and applications needed to respond to Council requirements and move projects toward resolution.
Whether you're adding a second storey, building a granny flat, or upgrading your home, Clear Consultants helps you understand what’s possible before you commit. We provide practical planning advice early, helping avoid costly surprises and unnecessary delays later in the process.
We work alongside builders, architects, building designers, and certifiers to provide planning advice and manage approvals. Early planning input can help identify constraints upfront, reduce redesigns, and keep projects moving efficiently through Council requirements.
You don’t need to be a large developer to benefit from good planning advice. Small subdivisions, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings, and change-of-use projects can still involve complex planning controls. We guide clients through the process in plain language so they always know where things stand.
From change-of-use applications and fit-outs to resolving existing approval issues, we help small business owners navigate Council requirements with confidence. We coordinate the planning process and required consultants so you can stay focused on running your business.
If you’ve received a Council notice, hit a roadblock, or simply don’t know where to start, we can help clarify your options. Sometimes a straightforward conversation and the right planning advice is all that’s needed to move forward with confidence.
Kate has worked in town planning for over nine years, including time at Council before moving into private consultancy. That means she understands how applications are assessed from the inside - which makes a real difference when preparing and managing them.
The planning system can be genuinely confusing. Kate's approach is to explain things clearly, set realistic expectations, and cut through the complexity so you know exactly where you stand.
For most clients, the biggest thing is having someone who can deal with Council on their behalf and keep the project moving. That's what Kate does.
You’re not alone. Most of our clients come to us feeling overwhelmed by the process. Browse the common questions below, or book a quick call and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Not every project requires a full Development Application. In NSW, there are generally three planning approval pathways — Exempt Development, Complying Development, and Development Applications (DA) — depending on the type of work and the planning controls affecting your property.
Clear Consultants can provide a preliminary planning assessment to determine which pathway may apply to your project, identify any key constraints early, and help you understand what approvals may be required before you commit to plans or construction.
If your project meets the strict state-wide standards set out in the SEPP, we can bypass the local Council DA process and use a private certifier. We’ll check this for you first as it’s often faster.
Approval timeframes vary depending on the type and complexity of the project, the local Council, and whether additional information is requested during assessment. As a general guide, most Development Applications can take anywhere from several weeks to a few months.
While requests for further information (RFIs) are common, Clear Consultants focuses on preparing thorough, well-coordinated applications upfront to help reduce unnecessary delays and keep the assessment process moving as smoothly as possible.
What can be approved on a property depends on a range of planning controls, including zoning, minimum lot sizes, bushfire constraints, biodiversity mapping, flooding, heritage considerations, and Council development controls.
Clear Consultants can provide preliminary planning advice to identify key constraints, explain potential approval pathways, and give you a clearer understanding of what may be achievable on your site before committing to detailed plans or consultant fees.
If works have already been carried out without approval, there are often pathways available to work toward resolving the issue. This may involve a Building Information Certificate (BIC), a Development Application, or supporting documentation to demonstrate the works are satisfactory.
Clear Consultants helps clients navigate unauthorised works matters by coordinating the required information, working with consultants where needed, and communicating with Council to move toward a practical resolution.
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Barbara Ferguson,
Business Name
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Barbara Ferguson,
Business Name
Most people start with a quick phone call to talk through their project. Kate can usually point you in the right direction from there, even if it’s just a five-minute conversation.
0434 363 068
CONTACT KATE
Based on the South Coast – Servicing Nowra, Huskisson, Vincentia, Berry, St Georges Basin, Sussex Inlet, and the Jervis Bay area. Working across all of NSW.