Urban Design Advisory Panel

The Panel is made up of independent professionals that provides professional and technical advice in an informal manner, to the Council and applicants in relation to the design of developments within the Municipality.

The members are appointed for a four year term.

The Panel is independent from the Council and does not make decisions. The Council is the permit authority and is responsible for determining development applications.

The Panel assist the Council with the following:

• Providing independent expert advice and recommendations on urban design issues
• Providing pre-application advice to developers on significant developments
• Providing urban design advice to Council on significant planning applications and whether they meet the relevant design provisions of the planning schemes
• Providing urban design advice to the Council on significant Council capital works projects
• Promoting good urban design to make our communities more liveable and attractive with good connectivity
• Recognising and protecting cultural identity and sense of space

Urban Design Advisory Panel - Terms of Reference(PDF, 97KB)

Once a planning application is lodged with the Council, the Panel will be referred those proposals that meet the following criteria:

Proposals requiring planning consent that are located within the area covered by the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme 1997 and the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme 2015 (Central Business, General Business, Commercial and Urban Mixed Use Zones and when proposed developments exceed 2000 m² in floor area or 3 storeys in height).

The Panel will also review any City of Hobart capital works project with a value of $1 million or greater, which is intended for public use, or to which the public have regular access and that the Council or the General Manager consider would benefit from receiving urban design advice.

Or any other development that a Director considers that the Council would benefit from receiving urban design advice.

Design assessment criteria and or design guidelines in the relevant planning scheme will form the basis for an urban design panel review.

The elements that the Panel will normally consider include:

• Quality of the architecture and its contextual relationship to Hobart
• Visual appearance and design principles including scale and composition, architectural details, articulation of facades and the treatment of rooftops
• The relationship of the proposed development to street, public spaces and adjacent buildings and to the character of surrounding areas
• The location of activities and their relationship to streets and public spaces particularly at the ground floor
• The design of pedestrian and vehicle entrances and access to and around buildings
• The relationship to existing heritage buildings and significant open spaces in the vicinity
• The amenity and quality of outdoor spaces associated with the development
• The level of amenity for residential accommodation including outlook, sunlight access, visual and acoustic privacy, ventilation, size and design
• The integration of publicly accessible artworks into the development
• Circulation and servicing
• Safety for users and pedestrians

The Panel is made up of six members and together bring a wealth of knowledge and real world experience in landscape architecture, planning, urban design and architecture.

The Panel:

• Chairman with suitable urban design and public administration experience
• The Tasmanian State Architect (currently vacant)
• Member who currently holds an academic position in urban design
• Nomination from the Tasmanian - Australian Institute of Architects
• Nomination from the Tasmanian - Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
• Member with both planning and urban design expertise

The Panel work with the City of Hobart Urban Design Advisory Panel Liaison Officer.

All members are required to declare if they have a conflict of interest and may not take part in any panel meeting for which they have declared a conflict of interest.

Current members

Scott Balmforth

Position: Chairman - Urban design and public administration experience

Scott Balmforth was born and raised in Hobart and is a founding Director of TERROIR. The practice was established in Hobart and Sydney simultaneously in 1999 and expanded internationally with TERROIR ApS in Copenhagen in 2010.

Scott graduated from the University of Tasmania and has an invited Masters of Architecture from RMIT University. He is a Registered Architect in Tasmania and Victoria, a former Australian Institute of Architects Chapter Councillor, and an Adjunct Professor of the University of Tasmania's School of Architecture since 2008.

Scott has led a range of innovative, award winning and internationally published architecture and urban design projects, and consistently champions in his work the place-based values and influences of his Tasmanian upbringing.

Appointed Chairman in late 2020, Scott brings to the City of Hobart's Urban Design Advisory Panel a unique local-to-global outlook, recognised design expertise, the ability to draw on local, national and international relationships and experience, and a strong advocacy to the City's future.

Yvette Breytenbach

Position: Member from the Tasmanian Chapter Institute of Architects

Yvette Breytenbach is a registered Tasmanian architect and a director of Morrison & Breytenbach Architects, Hobart. From 2017 – 2019 she filled the positions of President of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Tasmanian Chapter, National Councillor on the AIA National Council and member of the Board of Architects Tasmania, a consumer protection body. She is a Tasmanian examiner for the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) Architectural Practice Examination (APE), and an advocate for gender equity in the construction industry.

Yvette has been a jurist for the ACT Chapter AIA Annual Awards (2019), the Tasmanian Chapter AIA Emerging Architect Award (2017, 2018), the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Annual Awards (2007), and the Tasmanian Chapter AIA Annual Awards (2003).

She grew up in South Africa, graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 1980 with a Bachelor of Architecture and practised in Johannesburg and Cape Town on residential, social housing and urban design projects. In 1988, she completed a Social Science Honours degree at the University of Cape Town. From 1989 she worked on a range of architectural projects in Cambridge, U.K., while completing a Certificate of Fine and Applied Art in Ceramics at the City of London Polytechnic. A lifelong interest in ceramics translates to her architectural delight in the use of materials, texture and play of scale, as well as of carefully crafted buildings and spaces.

With her husband, architect James Morrison, Yvette migrated to Australia and settled in Hobart in 1991, setting up their architecture practice in 1992. Morrison & Breytenbach Architects has subsequently been recognised with multiple awards both locally and internationally, including in the arts, educational, residential, university and social housing sectors. The practice has delivered two 6-star Green Star "as-built" Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) certified buildings in Tasmania and integrates a strong social and environmentally sustainable focus into their work.

Yvette brings a voice for appropriate development of our built environment for the betterment of all Tasmanians. She advocates for protection of our built, natural and cultural heritage, equity in the built environment, people-focused quality design, and innovation that supports industry growth and a strong sustainable economy.

Matt Drysdale

Position: Member with Urban Design Experience

Matt Drysdale is a Tasmanian born, internationally experienced design strategist who shares his time between Melbourne and Tasmania.

Over the past 20 years, he has played a design leadership role internationally within Asia and locally with projects across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania showcasing his expertise across various scales and typologies within the urban context.

Matt graduated from Deakin University in 2005, earning a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) and is a longstanding affiliate of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. His unique skill set, honed through working with renowned master planners and architects, such as Daryl Jackson AO and Woods Bagot, positions him as a highly experienced multi-disciplined designer.

Matt's diverse experience spans strategic urban planning, architecture, urban design, master planning, heritage projects, development strategy, design, and public art. He has experience in many sectors including major projects, urban renewal, sport and recreation, community infrastructure, transport, social and affordable housing and defence.

Matt Drysdale's design approach is underpinned by a commitment to a collaborative approach to projects, being highly engaging and pragmatic.

Leading The OCD (The Office for Collective Design), Matt's strategic experience includes the delivery of development plans, master plans, feasibilities, strategic site assessments, development advice, conceptual designs, and completed projects.

Notable Tasmanian projects include the recently completed Hybrids urban public art project located in New Town and delivered as part of streetscape upgrades, a self-funded and detailed pre-emptive master plan for Macquarie Point in 2014 that explored mixed-use opportunities and the creation of a new waterfront cove located at Macquarie Point and strategic and design support for a community coastal trail project located at Eaglehawk Neck.

With a wealth of experience and a passion for contributing to the community, Matt is keen to further his work within the Tasmanian urban design and architectural landscape.

Helen Norrie

Position: Member with Academic Position in Urban Design

Dr Helen Norrie is a Senior Lecture in Architecture Design at the University of Tasmania. She has been an architectural critic for architecture, design and art journals for 25 years, and has authored catalogue essays for art and design exhibitions.

Helen is the founder of the Regional Urban Studies Laboratory (RUSL), a collaborative practice-led urban design research project that engages directly with local councils and communities to examine urban issues in small towns and cities. RUSL undertakes collaborative research that examines the spatial, temporal and social aspect of urban settlements, focusing on the intersection of development, planning and urban design. Drawing on spatial and data analysis, and evidence-based research she and the RUSL team develop speculative scenarios to explore how current policy frameworks can impede or promote new development that provides positive urban design outcomes.

Sarah Bendeich

Position: Member from the Tasmanian Chapter of Landscape Architects

Sarah Bendeich is AILA's representative on City of Hobart's Urban Design Advisory Panel, and has almost 20 years' experience shaping cities, precincts and places, both in private practice and local government. Sarah is particularly interested in the public realm, described by Jan Gehl as the 'space between buildings' and the importance of urban landscapes in creating healthy, sociable and enjoyable cities. Sarah recognises that each project contributes to this greater whole.

Sarah is a Registered Landscape Architect (AILA), and a full member of Planning Institute of Australia. Sarah studied landscape architecture at RMIT, graduating with honours before joining HASSELL and working on significant urban renewal projects including Melbourne's Docklands.

With her husband, Sarah moved from Melbourne to Hobart in 2003 and fell in love with this walkable city and the big landscape of lutruwita Tasmania. She joined local firm Inspiring Place and worked on town centre plans, heritage, environmental and placemaking projects, master plans for eco-tourism initiatives and urban renewal projects.

Sarah completed a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Planning from the University of Tasmania in 2013, before joining City of Hobart where she worked until 2022, in open space, design, mobility and placemaking, and leading transformative projects such as the reimagining of Morrison Street and the renewal of heritage-listed Franklin Square. Sarah led Hobart's local main street revitalisation projects at Lenah Valley, New Town, South Hobart and Midtown. Sarah authored the discussion paper for the Central Hobart Precincts Plan, combining inputs from cross-disciplinary specialists to set the scene for community and stakeholder engagement for that significant project.

More recently, Sarah led Clarence City Council's City Heart Project - a development vision and framework for Clarence's principal activity centre, encompassing future housing, commercial, cultural and community developments, walkable connections and green infrastructure.

Sarah was the Tasmanian chapter president of Australian Institute of Landscape Architects from 2015-2017. She has participated on judging panels including IAP2's Australasian Awards, and AILA National awards. Nine of Sarah's projects have won industry awards for design and planning.

Leigh Woolley

Position: Member with Urban Design Experience

Leigh is a Tasmanian Architect with over 35 years professional experience as an architectural and urban design practitioner. He provides design and consultancy services to private clients and all levels of government, within architecture and associated design disciplines, particularly urban design. He is the recipient of numerous professional design awards across these disciplines.

The author of critically acclaimed studies considering the landscape of the city and the role of settlement in 'revealing' place, his practice has contributed to the development of urban design policy in Greater Hobart over the past four decades. Recently he authored the nationally awarded 'Building Heights Standards Review' for the Hobart City Council - a framework for shaping density in the city centre.

His photography is held in state and national collections and is part of his working method. He is a Churchill Fellow and Adjunct Professor in Architecture and Design (UTAS) and practices from Hobart.

Urban Design Advisory Panel Liaison Officer

Jaime Parsons

Jaime Parsons is an Urban Designer, Placemaker and Strategic Planner with extensive experience in large scale strategic and masterplanning projects, both in established and new communities. He also has considerable expertise in the conceptualisation and delivery of medium and higher density residential developments, shopping districts, public realm design, placemaking initiatives and transport infrastructure.

He holds two degrees in Tourism and Marketing, and postgraduate qualifications in both Tourism Planning and Development and Urban Design. Having worked for 15 years in the private and public sectors in Australia and the Solomon Islands, he has an understanding of how the urban development process can be influenced to achieve better urban design outcomes and shape better places for all. In addition, he has worked in advanced 3D modelling and visualisation for major transport and urban planning projects.

He has considerable experience forming and leading high functioning teams of fellow professionals, both in the private and public sectors, to deliver complex projects and initiatives. He is currently the Principal Advisor Urban Design at the City of Hobart, Tasmania, where he leads a team that delivers strategy, policy, advice and place co-designed projects to help shape a more liveable, resilient and sustainable Hobart.

Jaime has presented at several public events and conferences, both in Australia and abroad, on topics ranging from waterfront development in the Solomon Islands, design-led cities, walkable urbanism, application of smart city technology, placemaking and emerging urbanism in Spain. He has also authored several articles in urban planning publications and organised and led an urban planning and design tour of urbanism in post-GFC Spain.

His involvement in giving back to the built environment professions is seen by his long-standing executive membership, and current role as Vice-President, of EAROPH Australia. Jaime has lived in six countries and is bilingual in English and Spanish, providing him insights into the unique value of culture and landscape.

Yes, this is referred to as a pre-application enquiry.

We recommend applicants take up the offer to present to the Panel at this early stage. It provides a structured forum in which critical issues can be raised earlier in the development process, helping applicants to make well-informed decisions about the design development of proposals prior to lodgement. This may assist in reducing the assessment times of the application.

To request a meeting please email udappanel@hobartcity.com.au or contact our City Planning division on 03 6238 2711.

Once a meeting date and time has been confirmed, you will be provided with some information about what you need to provide. To assist with your preparations please download and read the Urban Design Advisory Panel Checklist(PDF, 18KB).

Confirmation for the meeting will be sent out to the Panel members one week before the panel meeting date. Meetings are not open to the public.

At the meeting you will be given an opportunity to present your proposal to the Panel. Normally the Panel allows 15 minutes for each presentation. At the end of your presentation, each member may ask questions, seeking clarification of your proposal.

A 3D model of the proposed development will be inserted into Council's 3D city-wide model and presented to the Panel. The applicant can also use the 3D model to clarify their design intent during the meeting.

Once your presentation and questions have concluded, you will be asked to leave the meeting and the panel will review and discuss your proposal.

The fee associated with a pre-application is $2244. If a planning application is lodged for the same proposal (or substantially the same), then this fee would be reimbursed after that application has been made.

There is currently no cost to applicants for the meeting if the planning application has been lodged with Council.

There is also a cost associated with accessing the advice service if 3D modelling services is required. Please refer to Council's fees and charges for 3D GIS Services.

For further enquiries, please contact the Urban Design Advisory Panel – Administrative Coordinator by emailing udappanel@hobartcity.com.au.

Applicants are encouraged to arrange a pre-application meeting with a Council planning officer prior to lodging a formal planning application. A pre-application meeting will help determine what information is needed for an application, identify any design issues and whether the proposal complies with the requirements of the Planning Scheme.