Planning Officer
Job No:
PEAK280
Location:
Cooktown
About the Organisation
Cook Shire is the largest shire in terms of land area in Queensland, covering over 100,000 square kilometres and occupying 80% of Cape York Peninsula. Cooktown is 331km from Cairns (approximately 4 hours by car on the inland road). It is a vibrant area, from the main township of Cooktown to smaller outlying communities rich in indigenous history, agriculture, tourism and arts. About half of the Shire's 4400-strong population live in Cooktown, on the banks of the Endeavour River. Cook Shire is enriched by the unique contributions of its smaller communities, with Lakeland, a national leader in agriculture and Laura which is world-famous for its rock art. More information on Cooktown and Cape York Peninsula can be found here.
Council has developed an organisational structure that maximises the effectiveness of service delivery to the community. The council comprises the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team along with three departments:
- Organisational Business Services
- Community, Economy and Innovation
- Infrastructure Services
The Mayor, Chief Executive Officer, Directors form the Executive Leadership Team. The role of this team is to provide consultation on issues regarding the Council's strategic direction and long term planning.
As one of the largest employers in Cape York, Cook Shire Council supports this growing region and a diverse community of over 4,000 people. It was recently ranked in the top 10% of local governments across Australia so there couldn’t be a better time to come up and experience everything the region has to offer and work for a Council that is focused on continual improvement in everything it does for the community it serves.
Council are building a safe and inclusive culture where their people are empowered to deliver their best work. Embracing innovation and change, they continually strive to deliver a high-quality service across this vibrant, diverse, and iconic shire. They are passionate and energetic, working as one team to build a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable community. Coming off the back of their best tourist seasons - even COVID has not had the impact many other communities have experienced. Progress is important to them, and they make it a priority to invest in their people’s wellbeing, growth, and development.
For further information please access the Council website here
About the Position
- Make this Role Your Own in Beautiful Cooktown
- New Year | New Role
- Up to $82,000 + Super + RDO + Relocation Assistance
An opportunity has arisen for a qualified, enthusiastic, and competent candidate to come up and work for Cook Shire Council in the role of Planning Officer.
Reporting to the Manager Planning and Environment you will be able to make the role your own and hit the ground running. Aside from co-ordinating and attending pre-lodgement meetings, assessing town planning applications and liaising between other Council departments – you will write and present reports for Council meetings and the CEO/Directors on required planning assessments with recommendations.
You will also confidently be able to investigate, manage and resolve public complaints and enquiries.
About You
Renowned for being a ‘team player’ and for being self-motivated and flexible, you are also a good communicator who easily engages with a range of stakeholders. To be successful in this role you will be passionate about positively influencing the built environment, have sound statutory planning knowledge, a high level of attention to detail, strong writing skills and a desire to learn.
If you are enthusiastic about planning and can apply sound policy-based strategic thinking to planning decisions and have relevant tertiary qualifications this is your chance to ‘step up’ and represent Council across the community, with developers, State agencies and other stakeholders.
Needless to say, you will have a sound knowledge of the QLD Planning legislation, ideally some local government experience and enjoy communicating with people from a range of backgrounds and work with pride as you represent the Council across the community.
Why this Role?
If you feel you can be passionate about the role you can play in co-ordinating and enabling sustainable development and in providing specialist town planning advice to all stakeholders involved in matters of development assessment then this is a great position and opportunity to join a progressive Council where you can truly make your mark.
Aspirations to leverage yourself further and (understandably this will be based on performance) to have the chance to act as 2IC to the Manager of Planning and Environment from time to time is something you can genuinely strive towards.
For those considering a ‘sea change’ this could be your chance to enjoy life away from the daily commute and to enjoy all the benefits of living in a truly unique coastal location where work/life balance is genuinely possible. The organisation is very ‘family-friendly’ and flexible hours are genuinely supported by management.
If we have piqued your interest and you would love to live and work in this unique tropical region – then call to discuss what could be a genuine, career enhancing opportunity
Cook Shire is an equal opportunity employer and encourages a diverse workplace. Indigenous community members and women are strongly encouraged to apply, and all applications are assessed on merit.
Position Details
Please click on the link for a full copy of the POSITION DESCRIPTION or download a CANDIDATE PACK which includes salary details, staff benefits and other information you may find useful.
PEAK Services is working in conjunction with Cook Shire Council exclusively on this position. We offer local government expertise across a wide range of professional fields, providing tailored solutions for councils and other similar organisations. We work with our clients to deliver meaningful outcomes in the recruitment and contracting services.
How to Apply
Before you apply for this position, please read the position description carefully to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position. You will be required to answer a few questions that relate to the criteria on the online application below. Please note that you cannot submit your application without attaching your resume. A cover letter is not mandatory but may be added if so desired. When uploading your Resume or documents please ensure file names should only include 'A-z', '0-9', '.' and '-' characters.
PLEASE NOTE: Once you have commenced your application you cannot save and continue at a later stage.
Applications will close at 10pm on Monday 2nd November 2020
Please ensure you leave adequate time to complete your application before the closing date and time.
For a confidential conversation, please call Rona Horsfall at Peak Recruitment Services on 0438 943 854.