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Council offices will be closed from Friday 29 March for the Easter long weekend and will reopen 8.30am Tuesday 2 April 2024. Full details of service and facility interruptions.

Panel members

The Local Planning Panel is an independent panel of qualified people to review and assess development applications (DAs) and provide advice on some strategic planning matters. The panel generally meets monthly on a rotating roster with at least one Chair, two experts, and one community representative at each meeting.

  • The Chair has expertise in law or in government and public administration. The Chair is appointed by the Minister for Planning.
  • Two independent experts have expertise in at least one area of planning, architecture, heritage, environment, urban design, economics, traffic and transport, law, engineering, tourism or government and public administration, and they are appointed by Council from a pre-selected list of experts provided by the Department of Planning.
  • A representative of the local community is selected by Council via expressions of interest from interested representatives of the local community who have a demonstrated understanding and experience in similar or related fields to the experts. 

Chair
Ms Donna Rygate 

Alternate Chairs
Ms Kara Krason
Mr Jason Perica

Expert panel members
Mr Gregory Flynn - Areas of expertise: Planning, Traffic & Transport
Ms Sue Francis - Areas of expertise: Planning, Environment, Urban Design, Government & Public Admin
Mr Stephen Leathley - Areas of expertise: Planning, Urban Design, Government & Public Admin
Ms Linda McClure - Areas of expertise: Planning, Heritage, Urban Design, Government & Public Admin
Mr Grant Christmas - Areas of expertise: Law, Government & Public Admin
Stacey Brodbeck – Areas of expertise: Planning, Environment & Urban Design
Michael Ryan – Areas of expertise: Planning
David Crofts – Areas of expertise: Planning & Urban Design
Stephen Kerr – Areas of expertise: Planning
Michael File – Areas of expertise: Planning
Louise Menday – Areas of expertise: Planning & Urban Design
Kevin Hoffman – Areas of expertise: Planning, Architecture, Heritage, Environment & Urban Design
David Furlong – Areas of expertise: Planning
Lindsey Dey – Areas of expertise: Planning & Heritage
Anthony Tuxworth – Areas of expertise: Planning
 

Community representatives
Ms Lynette Hunt (Gosford West ward)
Mr David Kitson (Budgewoi ward)
Scott McGrath (The Entrance ward)

Alternate Community representatives
Mr Geoffrey Mitchell (Gosford West ward)
Mr Glenn Watts (Wyong ward)
Mr Mark Elsley (The Entrance ward)
Mr Stephen Glen (Gosford East and Budgewoi wards)

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