Town Planner Level 1

Careers at Council; Murwillumbah; On-site; AUD 88,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12% super

9 day fortnight

Training and development

Flexible work options

Permanent full-time

Generous employment conditions

Job summary

Tweed Shire Council in Murwillumbah, NSW, is recruiting for a permanent full-time planning officer. The role focuses on assessing development applications, ensuring compliance with planning instruments and delivering informed responses to planning and regulatory matters.

You will conduct site inspections, prepare high-quality reports, and provide professional advice to residents and stakeholders. Eligible candidates with Town Planning qualifications and PIA eligibility are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Town Planning (or nearing completion).
• Eligibility for Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) membership is preferred.
• Proven ability to assess development applications and provide professional planning advice.

Responsibilities

• Assess and coordinate development applications from lodgement to recommendation for approval or refusal.
• Conduct site inspections and monitor compliance with planning approvals.
• Prepare reports, correspondence and briefings for management, Council and external stakeholders.
• Provide professional advice and respond to planning enquiries from residents, developers and agencies.
• Investigate and resolve planning and regulatory complaints and undertake follow-up actions.

Skills

Town planning

Report writing

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Town Planning degree

Job description

Play a key role in shaping sustainable community outcomes by assessing development applications, ensuring compliance with planning approvals, and providing effective responses to planning and regulatory matters.

Play a key role in shaping sustainable community outcomes by assessing development applications, ensuring compliance with planning approvals, and providing effective responses to planning and regulatory matters.

About the role:

• Assess and coordinate development applications from lodgement through to recommendation for approval or refusal, ensuring compliance with relevant planning legislation, policies and environmental planning instruments.
• Conduct site inspections, prepare reports and monitor compliance with development consent conditions to support responsible and sustainable development outcomes.
• Provide professional advice and respond to planning enquiries from residents, developers, consultants, government agencies and other stakeholders.
• Investigate and resolve planning and regulatory complaints, undertaking appropriate follow-up actions and enforcement activities where required.
• Prepare high-quality reports, correspondence and briefings for management, Council, committees and external stakeholders, including representing Council in legal and regulatory matters when required.

What's on offer:

• a permanent full time position
• a base salary ranging from $87,689 per annum with competency-based increments up to $103,869 per annum, plus 12% super
• 70 hour, 9 day fortnight
• training and development opportunities
• flexible work options for a healthy work/life balance
• generous employment conditions

We are seeking:

• Degree-qualified in Town Planning (or nearing completion), with a genuine interest in shaping sustainable and well-planned communities.
• Demonstrated experience or understanding of processing development applications within a local government or planning environment.
• Sound knowledge of planning legislation, regulations and environmental planning instruments, with the ability to apply them effectively.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare reports and build positive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Eligibility for membership with the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and a commitment to professional development.

About us:

• Located on the picturesque far North Coast of NSW, bordering the Gold Coast.
• The Tweed is a vibrant, diverse location offering a lifestyle near the water, in a rainforest or on a farm.
• Tweed Shire Council is committed to employment equity and diversity and encourages applications from people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds in both traditional and non-traditional roles. We provide workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options.
• Join anemployer of choice. Professionals Australia (Local Government Engineers’ Association) has named Council the 2021 and 2025 Employer of Choice for our great employment practices within NSW local government.

Where it's located:

This position is based in Murwillumbah and can be directed to work from any Council work site.

Position closes:

Friday 25 September 2026 at12 noon sharp(NSW time). Late applications will not be permitted.

Pre-Employment Screening:

• Pre-employment medical – some roles require a functional (physical) assessment, and all positions are subject to drug and alcohol screening (a positive test result means the recruitment process ends and your application willnotbe considered).
• Background screening - verifies that the information you have provided throughout the recruitment process is true and correct.

Reference Checks are undertaken by the panel. Your 2 referees should ideally be your current and most recent supervisors. Your referees are not contacted unless you’ve been interviewed and are a preferred candidate.

Thinking of relocating?Eligible applicants can access theWelcome Experience, a free NSW Government service designed to support workers and their families as they move to regional NSW.