Poor SEE report - Who to complain to for refund

Hi,

Has anyone had any experience in lodging complaints about Town Planner who has provided a poor quality Statement of Environmental Effects report? The report is part of a DA application for a small renovation in Sydney. The poor quality is my architect's opinion as it has incorrect facts in it as well as links to incorrect clauses in SEPPs, LEP and DCPs. We've had discussions on what needs to be amended but it looks like they probably won't improve the report or provide a refund.

Is there a particular organisation to lodge a complain with apart from Fair Trading?

Thanks

 

Have you reverted to the planner for their views ? And explained why ? And the consequence if errors arent corrected ?
Likely a small claims tribunal matter for you to progress. At a tribunal it would assist to have a comparison of the reasons why it is defective (from another qualified planner) and this may involve the new planner marking up a copy with review points about what it incorrect. Seek refund for extra costs and recovery of the fee paid.

You may also have grounds to submit a professional complaint to a professional body they are a member of.

 

Is the town planner a member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA)? are they a Registered Planner?
Is there a reason they won't correct/update?
Talk with the planner first, sort those answers out and then if there's no result think about various courses of action. Discuss first, attack later

 

Thanks for the replies. Yes, my architect who's pulling together the DA application has discussed with the planner on the what they were expecting to see in an SEE report and outlined what changes are needed. I'm unsure if the planner agrees to the issues raised with the report (though it is illogical for the report to discuss outdated or irrelevant clauses unless my architect is misinformed) but reading emails and from my architect's debrief of conversations, their behaviour to me shows to me that they are unlikely to address the changes.

I'm far from having a qualified view as to what a "good" SEE report should include and structured hence left it to my architect to manage. So I do have a one-sided view but I would have thought professional consultants would be able to work things out between themselves amicably. Note: I agreed to use this planner but it was my architect's suggestion to use them. Due to the simplicity of the works, they didn't have a usual tried and tested one so suggested these planners.

No, the planner isn't a member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). Maybe that's the first misstep though the works I'm looking to do is relatively small and simple. Are there any other professional bodies a planner would be with? Google only points me to PIA.

 

No, PIA is the body.
Sounds like something else is going on, reading between the lines. Seems strange that the two professionals can't work it out