Town Planner

ABOUT US

Change your lifestyle and live and work in a vibrant community and great coastal environment.

Ballina Shire Council is situated on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, 20 minutes from Byron Bay and one hour from the Gold Coast. The shire is a popular tourism destination with pristine beaches, rainforest retreats and hinterland hideaways.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Position

We are seeking an appropriately qualified and highly experienced professional to join Council's Development Services team.

This senior Town Planner role offers an exciting opportunity to influence the future of the Ballina Shire, shaping positive growth and contributing to well-planned, sustainable development across the community.

You will play a key role in delivering high-quality development assessment and compliance services, providing expert advice and support to contribute to high-quality development outcomes across our shire.

The position offers an exciting development planning opportunity to work in a high growth coastal regional council with a wide variety of interesting development projects including a number of large greenfield residential subdivisions, commercial, mixed use and industrial developments and tourist and visitor accommodation projects. This is a great opportunity for a driven professional to contribute to positive planning outcomes that reflect community needs and values.

Council will consider both full time and part time working arrangements, and will discuss further with the preferred candidates and interview stage.

To be successful you will bring

• Behaviour that positively demonstrates Council's values of: creative, accessible, respect, energetic and safe.

• Tertiary qualifications in Town Planning or related discipline.

• Demonstrated extensive professional experience in development assessment.

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Local Government Act.

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

• Proven ability to work individually and as part of a team, with the ability to train and mentor development assessment staff.

• Demonstrated excellent communications skills, including conflict resolution and the ability to provide technical reports.

The rewards

Joining Ballina Shire Council means more than just a job—it's an opportunity to build a rewarding career while making a real difference in your community. We offer a range of benefits to support your wellbeing, growth and work-life balance, including:

• Flexible work arrangements to support your lifestyle, including a rostered day off working arrangement for full time staff (9 day fortnight or 4 day week).

• A leaseback vehicle for work and private use may be available for full time appointment.

• Support toward the cost of relocation associated with recruitment.

• Ongoing professional development and training opportunities

• Job security and a supportive, values-driven workplace culture

• Health and wellbeing initiatives, including Fitness Passport member options

• Meaningful work that contributes to the sustainability and liveability of our region.

To learn more about the benefits of working with Ballina Shire Council and to discuss the remuneration for this position, please contact Andrew Smith, Manager Development Services, on

Click here to view the Position Description and Information Package.

Applications close

11.30pm on Friday 5 December 2025

Specific enquiries

Andrew Smith | Manager Development Services |

How to apply

Please Note:  Once you start your online application, you are able to save and return to it later. This 'unsubmitted' application will be visible to Council.  You must use your email address, and not one used previously by another person who has applied for a position with Council.

You may wish to prepare your responses in a Word document.  You can then COPY and PASTE your answers from Word into the below fields.

Have your Resume document ready to go.

Fill out all questions below.  You will then be prompted to attach your resume and other documents (if applicable).

Review your application to confirm everything is correct.  Click "Confirm" to submit your application.