Business Details
23 Years
experience
Trusted Town Planning & Heritage Consultancy in Sydney
Established in 2003, Damian O'Toole Town Planning has built a reputation as a leading consultancy in Sydney's urban development landscape. Our team combines decades of experience from both public and private sector roles, including senior positions at City of Sydney, Waverley, and Woollahra Councils. We specialise in navigating complex development approval processes, offering expert advice on town planning, heritage conservation, and sustainability compliance. Our certified planners deliver tailored solutions for residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects across NSW, with a particular focus on Inner Sydney's unique regulatory environment.With offices in Surry Hills and Bulli, we maintain strong working relationships with local authorities while providing clients with strategic guidance grounded in practical experience. Our multidisciplinary approach integrates heritage expertise, BASIX certification, and Section J BCA compliance to ensure projects meet both regulatory requirements and client objectives. The team's qualifications include heritage conservation accreditations and building sustainability certifications, supported by ongoing professional development through the Planning Institute of Australia.
Services
Town Planning
Heritage Assessments
BASIX Certificates
Section J BCA Reports
Development Applications
Details
- Year established: 2003
Highlights and features
- Certified Practicing Planners by the Planning Institute of Australia
- Local Sydney expertise with former council staff
- Integrated town planning and heritage skill-sets
- 20+ years' experience in heritage conservation
- Ex-council assessors with insider process knowledge
Associations and certifications
- Planning Institute of Australia
What people say
Highly recommended
Reliable and responsive
Excellent experience
Expertise and decisive action
Would recommend
Services
Town Planning
Our certified planners provide expert guidance through Sydney's complex development approval processes. With former council assessors on staff, we prepare development applications, modify proposals, and negotiate with local authorities. Our 25+ years' experience covers residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects across NSW.
Heritage Assessments
Specialist heritage consultants prepare Heritage Impact Statements and Conservation Management Plans for Sydney's historic buildings. Our team combines UK and Australian experience to address heritage conservation areas and listed items, ensuring compliance with both council and Heritage Office requirements.
BASIX Certificates
We deliver cost-effective BASIX compliance solutions for residential developments across NSW. Our accredited assessors provide thermal comfort ratings and water efficiency certifications for new homes, alterations, and multi-unit developments, ensuring compliance with NSW Government sustainability targets.
Section J BCA Reports
Our experts prepare Section J compliance reports for commercial buildings under Classes 2-9. We address building fabric, glazing, lighting, and hot water systems to meet NCC/BCA energy efficiency requirements, supporting both development and construction certificate applications.
Development Applications
We manage end-to-end development application processes for Sydney homeowners and businesses. Services include preparing Statements of Environmental Effects, negotiating council conditions, and resolving unauthorised works. Our team handles projects from small residential alterations to large-scale commercial developments.
People
Damian OToole
Principal Planner
With 20+ years' experience across Sydney Councils and private practice, Damian leads the firm's planning expertise. His background includes assessing development applications for residential, commercial, and heritage projects, making him uniquely positioned to navigate approval processes effectively.
Susi Riedl
Sustainability Specialist
Susi brings specialist building sustainability expertise, including residential and commercial energy ratings. Her construction industry background ensures practical solutions for BASIX compliance and energy-efficient design across residential and mixed-use developments.
Alice Tickers
Heritage Consultant
Alice offers deep heritage conservation knowledge gained through UK government roles and Sydney projects. Her expertise covers heritage impact assessments, archival recording, and design advice for developments affecting historic buildings and conservation areas.
Zach Lemonius
Planning Assistant
Currently completing a Master's in Planning at Western Sydney University, Zach supports the team with research and documentation. His academic focus on urban development complements our commitment to evolving planning practices.
Questions
What areas do you service?
We operate across Sydney's Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, and Central Sydney, with expanding services to Illawarra and Sutherland Shire. Our NSW-wide experience includes regional council requirements.
Do you handle both residential and commercial projects?
Yes, our expertise covers residential developments from single dwellings to multi-unit complexes, plus commercial buildings and mixed-use developments across Sydney and NSW.
Are your planners certified?
All senior staff are Certified Practicing Planners through the Planning Institute of Australia, with additional heritage and sustainability accreditations maintaining industry best practice standards.
How do you handle heritage requirements?
Our specialist heritage consultants prepare Heritage Impact Statements and conservation plans, leveraging 20+ years' experience working with Sydney councils and the Heritage Office requirements.
What's included in a BASIX certificate?
We provide comprehensive BASIX compliance assessments covering water efficiency, thermal comfort, and energy consumption, including NATHERS ratings for residential developments across NSW.
Can you assist with council negotiations?
Yes, our team includes former council assessors who effectively negotiate development conditions, resolve unauthorised works issues, and streamline approval processes through established council relationships.
Reviews (3)
Jessica Athas
May 07, 2021
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Damian was a pleasure to work with for our home renovation - very efficient and knowledgeable. The heritage report was delivered quickly and without flaw. Very professional and reasonably priced.
Kate Pappas
Jan 14, 2020
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Damien worked with us through some challenging issues with Sydney Council for a change of use application
Sam O'Rourke
Aug 03, 2019
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Good knowledge of City of Sydney planning system. Steered us through planning application process. We previously used another planner on another project and Damian was much more thorough.
