Services Approach About Contact
The service

Start with the planning, not the property.

Most developers and investors approach site acquisition the wrong way around. They find a site they like, make an offer, then engage a town planner to figure out if it works. By that point, they are already committed, already emotionally attached, and already paying stamp duty on a problem.

Site Finding and Development Strategy inverts that process. Before you look at specific sites, UPQ works with you to understand what your intended development product actually requires from a planning perspective: the right zones, the right overlays to avoid, the conditions that commonly cause problems, and the local government areas where your product is most likely to be approved.

The result is a planning strategy document that your buyers' agent, broker, or acquisition team can use to guide the search. It is not a planning report. It is the intelligence that should exist before a planning report is ever needed.

What it is and isn't

Planning clarity, not property advice.

It helps to be clear about what this service provides and what sits outside its scope.

What UPQ provides vs. what it doesn't
UPQ provides
Planning zone analysis and suitability
Overlay risk mapping and avoidance
Planning scheme intelligence by LGA
Common issues to watch for
Strategic planning advice
Strategy review meeting
Not included
Site sourcing or acquisition
Buyer's agent services
Property investment advice
Site-specific assessments
Formal planning reports
DA preparation
How it works

Four steps to a planning strategy.

The process is structured, fixed-fee, and designed to be completed efficiently. By the end, you will have a clear planning framework to guide your site acquisition.

Step 01
Enquiry and fee agreement

Submit an enquiry with your intended development product and the local government areas you are targeting. We will issue a fixed fee quote. Once accepted, work begins.

Step 02
Initial strategy discussion

A structured conversation to confirm your development product parameters, preferred local government areas, risk tolerance, and acquisition timeframe. This shapes the focus of the planning strategy.

Step 03
Planning strategy document

Jessica prepares a concise planning strategy document: the zones that work for your product, the zones to avoid, the overlays to watch for, and the key issues that commonly arise in the local government areas you are targeting.

Step 04
Strategy review meeting

A dedicated meeting to walk through the strategy document, discuss risks, opportunities, and priorities. Clarify any questions and confirm how the strategy should be applied to your site search.

The deliverable

A planning strategy document, not a generic report.

The planning strategy document is a concise, practical guide to where your development product works within the nominated local government areas. It is designed to be used by you and your acquisition team during the site search process.

Unlike a planning report tied to a specific site, this document is product-led and zone-led. It tells you what to look for in a site before you spend time or money assessing one that won't work.

Typical turnaround

5 to 10 business days

From acceptance of the fee quote to delivery of the planning strategy document. Timing depends on the scope and number of local government areas included.

What the planning strategy covers
  • Relevant zones within the nominated local government area(s) and their typical development outcomes
  • Zones typically suited to your intended development product
  • Zones that require caution or are unlikely to support the product as described
  • Key overlays to be aware of and their typical implications
  • Common triggers for information requests or refusals in your target LGAs
  • Strategic considerations for site selection and negotiation
  • Recommended next steps, including when a preliminary planning review is warranted for a shortlisted site
A note on scope

Planning intelligence vs. property advice.

UPQ provides planning expertise, not property investment or acquisition advice. The planning strategy document tells you where the planning framework supports your intended development. It does not tell you whether to buy a property, at what price, or whether a site represents a sound investment.

For most clients, this service is used alongside a buyers' agent, property broker, or in-house acquisition team. The planning strategy gives those parties the planning framework knowledge they need to filter sites before significant due diligence is undertaken.

Once a shortlisted site is identified, the natural next step is a Preliminary Planning Review: a site-specific assessment of the shortlisted property before any offer is made.

How this fits with other UPQ services

Site Finding and Development Strategy gives you a planning framework to guide site acquisition before you commit to anything.

Once you have a shortlisted site, a Preliminary Planning Review assesses that specific property against the planning scheme before you make an offer.

When you're ready to proceed, Development Application Management handles preparation and lodgement through to approval.

Know where your development works before you search.

Tell us what you are looking to build and which local government areas you are targeting. We will come back with a fixed fee quote and confirm whether this service is the right starting point.

plan@upqld.com.au Or use the contact form