Norm wrote:you need to have a solid case even down to insurance and stuff like that.
Definitely, it's the question you cannot answer that will bring the whole thing undone.
Chris,
I figure council procedures vary from area to area and state to state. Ours would receive a letter in a main office, it would be opened by staff, stamped with a dated "Received" stamp, initialled by the opener and then put in a pile for the appropriate person (not necessarily the addressee btw). If your letter goes missing and you don't follow it up, it's your problem. If they don't ring or write back, it's your problem etc. etc.
I would expect that you will be notified long prior to anything going to council. For it to actually go to council the responsible officer will have had to have done the groundwork and written a report along with a recommendation and their reasons for that one way or the other.
Try to get a contact name as early as you can and work with that contact rather than speaking to a different person when you ring. If you have the time, rock up in person but be aware that many of the engineers are out during the day, after 4pm was a good time for ours to be in the office. Last question on the phone would be once you have a name .."When should I ring you back?" and ring on that date without fail, keeps 'em on the ball.
Start doing eveything you think you might nee to fo a submssion to council now, keep it in a folder and have it to hand whether on the phone or visiting in person, it saves time and shows you are serious.
That's about all I can think of for now.
Cheers,
Rob
I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.