Our Expertise & Services
Meliora Projects provides planning, social impact and engagement advice across key stages of the development process.
We help clients understand approval pathways, identify risks early and prepare stronger, more defensible applications across NSW.
How We Support Your Project
Feasibility + Risk Review
Early-stage planning advice to assess project feasibility, approval pathways and key risks before significant time or capital is committed.
Navigating Development Approvals
Strategic guidance through development approval processes, tailored to your project’s scope, location, planning pathway and assessment context.
Integrated Planning Support
Coordinated planning, social impact and engagement advice to support stronger applications, manage stakeholder considerations and improve approval readiness.
Services We Provide
Advisory Services and Early Stages Assessments
- Planning Advice on a specific matter
- Feasibility Assessments
- Planning Due Diligence reports
- Preliminary Planning Reviews
- Unauthorised development – Preliminary Advice
- Approval Pathway Determination
- Approval Pathway reviews
- Exempt Development Reviews
Various Planning assessments and reports
- Statement of Environmental Effects (SoEE or SEE)
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- SEARs (Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements)
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
- Review of the Environmental Factors (REF)
- Operational Plans of Management
- Farm Management Plans
View Sharing/Loss Impact Assessments - Planning reports (BIC) – unauthorised development or construction works
- Expert Witness Reports and Consultations
- Modification of the Existing Consent – S 4.55 Modification Reports
- Clause 4.6 Variations
- Section 8.2 Reviews
- Division 5.1 Assessments
- CDC compliance statements and reports
- Exempt Development Assessments & Letter of Compliance
- Land Use Conflict Risk Assessment (LUCRA)
Social Impact Assessment
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) – Scoping
Baseline Social Profile – Preliminary Assessment
Preliminary Social Impact Analysis
Analysis of Collected Data from Consultations
Identification and Analysis of Social Impacts Using Various Methodologies
Addressing Social Impacts in Alignment with Social Justice Principles
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Reports
Peer Review of Social Impact Assessments
Collective Social Impact Assessments
Social Impact Management Plans
Community and stakeholder engagement
- Stakeholder and Community Consultation Plans
- Community and Stakeholder Engagement Process
- Community and Stakeholder Engagement Reports
Supplementary Services
- Property Information Documents
- Council Historic Records (GIPA)
- Various applications – lodgment and tracking
- Pre-DA meetings
- Design Review Panels meetings
- Post approval consultation
- Site visits (if required
- Ongoing Support & Compliance Reviews – Our advice is accurate at the time provided, and we offer re-reviews for projects that have been on hold to account for potential regulatory changes.
Subscription based services
Access our consulting services on a recurring basis, through a monthly fee or based on the established hourly rate. Please enquire about our subscription based services by contacting us.
Planning, social impact and engagement services
We provide planning, social impact and engagement services to support projects at all stages. From early feasibility through to approvals and strategic advisory.
Advisory
Early-stage assessments, pre-acquisition advice, peer reviews and subscription-based ongoing support.
Statutory Planning
Town planning reports, Development Applications, RSD, SSD, Clause 4.6 variations, view loss and modifications.
Strategic Planning & Rezoning
Strategic planning advice, rezoning opportunity reviews, planning proposals and strategic merit reviews.
Social Impact Assessment
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
Expert Evidence
Independent planning advice, expert witness reports, peer reviews and clear responses to refusals, appeals and contested planning matters.
NSW Approval Pathways We Support
Exempt Development
Complying Development Certificate (CDC)
Development Applications (DA)
Section 4.55 Modification Applications
Building Information Certificates (BIC)
Planning Proposals / Rezoning
Regional Development
State Significant Development (SSD)
Designated Development
Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) pathway
SEARs requests and SSD pathway advice
Ministerial approval pathways
Development projects we assist with:
Commercial and Industrial Developments
Change of use and associated construction works
Training and Education Facilities
Medical centres and Health Consulting Rooms
Recreation areas; Recreation facilities (indoor and outdoor)
Shop top housing
Retail
Warehouses
Health Consulting Rooms
Medical Centres
Industrial Projects
Pond based and tank -based Aquaculture
Oyster aquaculture
Licensed premises (Small bars, clubs and pubs)
Food and drink premises (Cafe and restaurants)
Gyms
Tattoo parlour and beauty salons
Business identification signage
Childcare Facilities
Amusement centres
Depots
Entertainment facilities
Function centres
General industries
Light industries
Vehicle repair stations
Business premises
Office fit outs
Residential projects
Residential Flat Buildings (apartments)
Dual occupancy
Secondary dwellings
Multi Dwellings
Group Homes
Boarding houses
Tourism
Eco-Tourism Developments: Nature retreats, glamping sites, and wellness retreats.
Tourist and visitor accommodation
Caravan Parks and Campgrounds
Rural Event Venues: Wedding venues, function centres, and agritourism businesses.
Mixed Use Developments
Rural
Extensive Agriculture
Intensive Plant Agriculture
Intensive Livestock Agriculture
Horticulture and Nurseries
Farm Stay Accommodation
Rezoning Projects (Planning Proposals)
Subdivision and Amalgamation Projects (Torrens, Strata and Community Titles)
Designated Developments
Heavy Industries
Chemical, coal, and petroleum processing plants
Cement, lime, and plaster manufacturing
Metallurgical and mineral processing industries
Waste and Resource Recovery
Waste management facilities (e.g., landfill, incineration, recycling)
Sewage treatment plants with large-scale processing
Hazardous waste disposal facilities
Extractive Industries and Mining
Quarries and open-cut mining exceeding threshold limits
Large-scale sand and gravel extraction
Underground mining operations
Energy Generation and Supply
Large-scale power generation facilities (coal, gas, solar, wind farms)
Hydro-electric power stations
High-voltage transmission lines and substations
Agriculture and Animal Processing
Intensive livestock agriculture (feedlots, piggeries, poultry farms)
Abattoirs and meat processing facilities
Large-scale aquaculture operations
Forestry and Timber Processing
Sawmills and wood processing plants
Large-scale forestry operations
Infrastructure and Transport
Major road and rail projects
Port facilities and shipping terminals
Airport developments
Water-related Developments
Large dams and water storage facilities
Desalination plants
Irrigation schemes
Contaminated Land and Hazardous Facilities
Facilities handling, storing, or treating hazardous chemicals
Asbestos disposal sites
Large-scale fuel storage depots
Marine and Coastal Developments
Marinas, boating facilities, and coastal reclamation
Offshore petroleum exploration
Developments in environmentally sensitive coastal areas
What you gain by engaging Meliora Projects
Clear Approval Pathway
We help identify the most suitable approval pathway for your project, so decisions are made with clarity from the outset.
Planning, site, social and stakeholder risks are identified early – before they affect design, cost, timing or assessment outcomes.
We prepare clear, practical and defensible planning documentation that responds to statutory requirements and assessment priorities.
Strategic Positioning
We help position projects in a way that aligns with planning controls, authority expectations and broader community context.
Coordinated Advice
Planning, social impact and engagement considerations are brought together under one team, reducing gaps and improving project readiness.
Senior planner involvement
Every project benefits from senior planning input, practical judgement and real-world experience in NSW approval processes.
Better informed decisions
Our advice helps clients understand options, constraints and approval risks before committing significant time or capital.
Trusted Development Planning Consultants across the public and private sectors throughout NSW.
Property developers (residential, commercial, industrial)
Architects and urban designers
Government agencies and local councils
Legal professionals and solicitors
Community organisations and not-for-profits
Private landowners and homeowners
Property Consultants and Real Estate Agencies
Industry specialists
Private Certifiers
Sourced from verified Google reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Meliora Projects do?
At what stage should we engage your team?
What types of development projects do you work on?
Can you help with unauthorised developments or retrospective approvals?
What is a Social Impact Assessment, and do I need one?
How long does the Development Application process take?
Can you provide an initial consultation for my development?
Do you work outside of NSW?
How do I get started with Meliora Projects?
Early engagement helps avoid delays and ensures compliance from the outset.