KLM Spatial navigates the planning system for waste projects

waste project consultants

KLM Spatial consultants combine experience and a practical approach to help waste and resource recovery projects off the ground.

When government funding for a proposed biomass boiler in Victoria hinged on strict approval and development time frames, the project owners called in KLM Spatial.

Nick Jay, KLM Spatial Planning Manager, says the land development consulting service successfully negotiated with authorities to get approval well within time and ensure funding was secured.

The boiler project, which aims to generate energy from woodchip derived from timber packaging waste to power pallet heat treatment kilns, is in further development. 

Another KLM Spatial client required planning approval for the development of a plastics recovery facility that had received a grant from Sustainability Victoria. That project is set to help Victoria reach State Government recycling targets outlined in the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan 2016. 

Nick says it’s projects like these where the team at KLM Spatial shines.

“We have the skills and resources to help clients get their projects off the ground – from small to large-scale commercial and industrial development as well as subdivisions in urban, regional and greenfield locations,” he says.

“We have long-standing clients in the waste sector because we can take their plans all the way from conception and infancy to delivery. We help people navigate relevant authorities and planning schemes to hopefully reduce the time frames and get approvals.”

The KLM Spatial team has expertise in town planning, land surveying, building design, civil engineering and civil construction management.

The company has been in operation for more than three decades and is located within Dandenong, working on numerous projects across the south-east of Melbourne, the Greater Melbourne area and regional Victoria. 

Nick says while the company has a history in the waste industry, there is an increasing demand to help establish material recovery and processing facilities.

“Generally, clients need our services to get development and use approval from local councils. They come to us with a vacant site and need approval for development and use. We’ll do due diligence on the planning controls and schemes that affect that site and its use.

One of the biggest issues facing clients, says Nick, is the lack of appropriate sites for a MRF to be located because of zoning and land availability.

“We’re in Dandenong South, which is designated as a national employment and innovation cluster,” he says. “State and federal governments recognise it as an area where ‘dirty’ uses should be located.”

KLM Spatial understands the importance of site proximity for the resource recovery sector and is actively lobbying the State Government for the release of more industrial land in the south east. The company is steering several large-scale industrial subdivisions in the Officer-Pakenham corridor.

For those who do have a site in mind, Nick describes KLM Spatial as a ‘one-stop shop’.

Land surveying underpins many of the services offered and can include site mapping such as topographic surveys, neighbourhood and site description, surface scanning and 3D modelling and virtual reality. Accurate mapping also helps with underground services such as water and sewerage. 

A project engineering team provides technical support and advice at the planning and development stage, while civil engineering design will unlock the potential of a development site for access, drainage and essential services.

“Our team holds the necessary experience and accreditation to undertake design for municipal road and drainage, VicRoads road and drainage, regional water authority assets, regional drainage infrastructure, wetlands, pump stations, AS3500 plumbing code works and a range of other site specific design solutions,” Nick says.

“KLM Spatial’s project administration service is set up to guide clients through regulatory procedures, monitoring the necessary applications, agreements, deeds, fees, bonds, levies, and reimbursements that may apply to a project.

“We’re experienced in navigating the complexities of the planning system.”

KLM Spatial is also an accredited Enviro-Development company through the Urban Development Institute of Australia. Enviro-Development is a scientifically based assessment scheme that independently reviews development projects and awards certification to those that achieve outstanding performance across four or more elements such as ecosystems, waste and energy. 

For more information, visit: www.klms.com.au

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