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Emma Murphy, our resident Public Sector People Town Planning Recruitment Consultant, shares her views on the current Town Planning talent market.
Key market drivers.
In the new financial year we’ve seen an increase in demand for contract staff, due to new council budgets and covering for staff taking periods of leave. Council restructuring and staff movements are also affecting talent flows.
This is very positive considering at the start of the calendar year we noticed a decrease in planning permit activity. Some councils commented that it was the lowest number of applications they had seen since 2014.
There's continued demand in the growth area councils such as Wyndham, Melton, Hume, Whittlesea, Casey & Cardinia. The demand for ‘growth area’ experience is increasing as it's a unique form of town planning requiring a unique skillset. These areas are the focus of new residential development along with relevant facilities such as commercial districts, schools and other community amenities and services.
There's a demand for Contract Planners in Regional Victoria, due to covering staff shortages and the increased development in those areas.
What candidates need to know.
Contract Planners are typically being employed for 6 months per contract in regional areas and in metro councils this has been around 3-6 months. Regional councils are typically offer more flexibility and generous hourly rates to attract contract staff.
Contract staff are particularly interested in roles that can offer a varied workload, flexible working hours, an opportunity to work remotely and some security, either in the form of a longer term contract or financially.
Contract roles are a great foot in the door to those who are new to the industry, whether interstate, international or new to the profession. If there is a genuine opportunity to transition into a permanent role, even better to attract contract staff.
Contract roles allow planners to dip their toes in the water of the Public Sector, if they are not sure which direction they would like to take in their career. It allows for flexibility, if someone cannot commit to a permanent role due to upcoming travels or study/family commitments. It also allows planners to get exposure to different types of applications in various councils and broaden their experience.
More about Emma:
Emma hails from the Emerald Isle and recruited for a large global recruiter before she found her new home here in Melbourne. She spends her free time exploring all the best spots regional Victoria has to offer, with the
occasional hike and well-earned brunch thrown in!
emma@publicsectorpeople.com.au
03 8535 3100
About Baw Baw Shire Council Located adjacent to Melbourne, Baw Baw Shire is one of Victoria's fastest growing municipalities with freeway and V/Line access into Melbourne's CBD and suburbs. This allows easy access to training, seminars and conferences in the city, without diminishing the direct impact that comes from working within a close-knit rural community. To learn more visit www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au About the Role As a peri-urban council, Baw Baw Shire offers a diverse range of applications for a planner to gain experience with, rather than the typical rescode applications. This will provide you a really broad technical knowledge early on in your career. Joining Council’s Statutory Planning Team, you will be providing specialist advice, process planning permit applications and supporting the team with the daily operational requirements. We are seeking a team member who is looking to gain experience, willing to develop and build on their knowledge and skills within Statutory Planning. Someone who has a strong customer focus with the ability to provide sound planning outcomes for our Shire. You will be provided with ongoing training and development in this role and empowered by the leadership team to grow and develop in your role. About the Successful Candidate The successful applicant will hold relevant qualifications and have demonstrated experience in a similar role. If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, we want to hear from you! Further Information and How To Apply To apply, please email emma@publicsectorpeople.com.au to receive a copy of the comprehensive PD. To complete your application, please click below to submit a current copy of your resume and a covering letter. For a confidential conversation, please contact Emma Murphy on 0412 786 746. Applications for the role will close on July 22nd, 2022 at 12:00PM
About Baw Baw Shire Council Located adjacent to Melbourne, Baw Baw Shire is one of Victoria's fastest growing municipalities with freeway and V/Line access into Melbourne's CBD and suburbs. This allows easy access to training, seminars and conferences in the city, without diminishing the direct impact that comes from working within a close-knit rural community. To learn more visit www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au About the Role The Coordinator Statutory Planning is critical member within the Planning and Development directorate leadership team, responsible for coordinating a team of Planners to manage assessment of Council’s diverse development applications. You will play a lead role within the directorate and the community educating all users about the planning system, both internally and externally. You will be confident and committed to leading a group of planners and providing for great planning outcomes for the Baw Baw community. This will involve a focus of an enhanced customer experience when delivering the statutory planning service. You will have the support of senior management and the Executive Leadership team to elevate the profile of the Shire’s Statutory Planning Service and implement a wide range of improvements. This is a 12 month contract to cover Maternity Leave. Baw Baw are operating on a hybrid working model and offering flexible working arrangements. This is an opportunity for a Principal Planner to step up into a formal leadership role. About the Successful Candidate Extensive experience in Statutory Planning is essential Tertiary qualifications in land use planning or other relevant field combined with extensive and relevant work experience. Demonstrated experience delivering effective results with significant applications. Excellent analytical research and investigative skills Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills Proven understanding of service delivery principles and effective means of delivery. Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in the organisation at a senior level. Further Information and How To Apply To apply, please email marcel@publicsectorpeople.com.au or emma@publicsectorpeople.com.au to receive a copy of the comprehensive PD. To complete your application, please click below to submit a current copy of your resume and a covering letter. For a confidential conversation, please contact Emma Murphy on 0412 786 746 or Marcel Lafontaine on 0423 668 753 Applications for the role will close on July 22nd, 2022 at 12:00PM.
Public Sector People are seeking a Landscape Architect for a metro Council. This is a 12 month contract with a busy council in Melbourne’s East. Reporting into the Coordinator of Design and Construction, you will be responsible for the full project lifecycle of streetscape, playscape and sportsground projects. You will be managing design, documentation, community consultation, tendering of works and delivery of projects. This is a 12 month contract and council are operating on a hybrid model with two to three days in the office and the rest from home. Suitable for a Landscape Architect with public sector experience or 2-3 years’ experience in the private sector and wanting to transition into public sector. Requirements include: A tertiary qualification in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, or other associated profession. Project management experience with delivery of playscape and streetscape projects. Experience managing full lifecycle of projects. Benefits include: Immediate start. Flexible working hours. $50 - $65 p/h, depending on experience. 12 month contract. Mixture of WFH and office based working. For a confidential discussion regarding this position and other opportunities within Metropolitan and Regional Victoria, please contact Emma Murphy at Public Sector People on (03) 8535 3111. Alternatively, please e-mail your current resume in Word format using the link below
Public Sector People are currently working with a council in Melbourne’s North East suburbs on the recruitment of a Planning Investigations Officer. An average day will include investigation of planning complaints, conducting on-site inspections to ensure compliance with permit conditions and gathering information / evidence for enforcement purposes. Our client is looking for previous planning enforcement experience within Local Government. Planners who have enforcement experience are also encouraged to apply. Requirements include: A full valid Victorian Drivers licence. Ability to gather evidence and conduct investigations to achieve planning compliance, including for prosecutions and enforcement orders where required Ability to listen and to communicate effectively with all relevant stakeholders to handle stressful situation in relation to development disputes Benefits include: Gain valuable experience in a busy Victorian council. No two days the same, this role promises a varied workload and opportunity be a part of a face-paced and dynamic team. Competitive hourly rate on offer. For a confidential discussion regarding this position and other opportunities within Metropolitan and Regional Victoria, please Emma Murphy at Public Sector People on (03) 8535 3111. Alternatively, please e-mail your current resume in Word format using the link below.
Public Sector People are working with a council, in the North who are seeking a senior planner for a contract role. This growth area council require a planner to support the team during periods of upcoming leave and secondments. The contract is currently for a three month period, but extremely likely to be extended. This council are undergoing massive growth and this is a great opportunity for a planner seeking exposure to growth area planning. Can offer full-time or part-time hours, this council generally keep their contract staff on, so likely this will tun into a long term opportunity. Requirements include: Tertiary qualification in Town Planning, Urban Studies, Environmental Planning or related discipline. Experienced planner who is self-sufficient and has experience operating at a minimum Band 5 level. Local Government experience, ideally within Victoria. Benefits include: Work in a council undergoing substantial growth with a variety of planning issues to challenge you. Attractive hourly rate - $50 - $65 p/h +super Flexible working hours available. Hybrid model with 2-3 days working from home. For a confidential discussion regarding this position and other planning opportunities within Metropolitan and Regional Victoria, please contact Emma Murphy at PSP on (03) 8535 3111. Alternatively, please e-mail your current resume in Word format using the link below.
Public Sector People are currently working with a council located in Melbourne’s Inner-Metropolitan area to a recruit a Senior Statutory planner to cover a period of leave. Your core function will be to manage a caseload of applications and produce the delegate reports. You will be dealing primarily with Clause 54s, Clause 55s, 5-6 storey apartment blocks and liquor licences. This is an initial three month contract role, but with an increased workload and anticipating upcoming leave periods it is highly likely the contract will be extended beyond this. This is a hybrid working environment, the team work two days a week in the office. This is a centrally located council, easy accessible on public transport. Requirements include: Tertiary qualification in Town Planning, Urban Studies, Environmental Planning or related discipline. Experienced Local Government planner. Ability to work autonomously and manage your time efficiently. Benefits include: Gain valuable experience in an Inner-Metro Council as a senior team member. Depending on experience, hourly rates range from $55p/h - $65p/h + super. Immediate start. Open to flexible hours. For a confidential discussion regarding this position and other opportunities within Metropolitan and Regional Victoria, please contact Emma Murphy at Public Sector People on (03) 8535 3111. Alternatively, please e-mail your current resume in Word format using the link below.
Public Sector People are working with a metro council in the South Eastern suburbs on the recruitment of a Senior EHO. You will be able to demonstrate your excellent industry knowledge and previous experience working for a Local Council as an EHO. You will be able to competently complete registered premises inspections whilst communicating with local proprietors in a professional manner. This is a contract role covering a period of leave for two months. This contract will start on 1st of July so suitable for any EHOs with a contract coming to an end in June. Open to a Band 5 or Band 6 EHO and will pay $45 - $52p/h plus super. You will be working on Customer complaint investigations Public Health and Wellbeing Act inspections Food Act inspections Pandemic Team support Health promotion support and program implementation and development Customer engagement and setting expectations Requirements include: Suitable qualifications – Bachelor of Applied Science or Health Science (Environmental Health) – or recognised equivalency Recent public sector experience as a practicing Environmental Health Officer, or membership with Environmental Health Australia Current Victorian driver licence. Previous Local Government experience as an EHO. For a confidential discussion regarding this opportunity or other Environmental Health roles within public sector, please contact Emma Murphy on (03) 8535 3111 | Emma@publicsectorpeople.com.au.