Specialist Rural and Metropolitan Fringe Planning Practice

Edge Land Planning is a specialist planning consultancy established in 1999 to address rural and metropolitan fringe planning challenges across New South Wales. The practice operates from a base of extensive local government experience, focusing on the complex land use issues that arise where urban development meets agricultural areas. The consultancy serves government agencies, industry groups, and community organisations requiring expert advice on planning matters in these contested landscapes.

Planning Services and Expertise

The firm provides strategic planning advice covering rural land use assessment, metropolitan fringe development, and public policy analysis under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Services include development application preparation, rezoning proposals, and community consultation processes. The practice also delivers economic development planning, research projects, and facilitation services for complex planning disputes.

• Strategic planning for rural and urban fringe areas
• Development applications and rezoning submissions
• Community consultation and stakeholder engagement
• Public policy analysis and research projects
• Economic development planning initiatives

Professional Credentials and Academic Research

The practice holds Fellowship status with the Planning Institute of Australia and maintains membership with the American Planners Association. The principal consultant possesses a NSW Local Government Town and Country Planner Certificate and economic development credentials from the Indiana Economic Development Institute. Current PhD research at Sydney University examines planning tensions in strategic agricultural regions along Australia's eastern seaboard, investigating contested landscapes where population growth intersects with horticultural production and resource extraction activities.

Experience and Government Background

The firm draws on thirteen years of local government planning experience across multiple NSW councils including Wollondilly, Forbes, Orange, and Wingecarribee. This background encompasses both development control and strategic planning roles, with particular expertise gained as Manager of Strategic Planning at Wollondilly Shire Council. The practice has worked extensively in areas experiencing high population growth rates while maintaining agricultural and rural character values.

Service Coverage Areas

Edge Land Planning operates throughout New South Wales, with particular focus on rural councils and metropolitan fringe locations. The practice covers the Sydney metropolitan outskirts, central west regions, and southern highlands areas where agricultural land use conflicts with urban expansion pressures.