Education Putting Your Best Foot Forward at VCAT

For many Members, taking an application to the Victoria Civil Appeals Tribunal (VCAT) is something different and challenging. It seems the same applies even to town planners! Accordingly, the Department of Planning and Community Development runs professional development training for town planners.

Some of the following courses may be of interest to Members giving them a better appreciation of the process involved, strategies to positively deal with the community and many other areas of planning.

Three such courses are outlined below, and many more can be found on their website.

Introduction to VCAT – The Hearing

What is a VCAT hearing? How do I present my case at VCAT and what are the common courtesies I must address? This is a half-day session including a brief introduction to VCAT, guided attendance at a hearing and a session on preparing and presenting your submission.

This program is especially popular with new planners or planners who are presenting their first appeal and is applicable to consultants, referral authorities and local government.

The outcomes of this course are to:

• Appreciate VCAT’s role in decision making
• Understand the role and function of the parties
• Know what to include in your presentation to VCAT and how to prepare your case
• Analysis of the hearing

It is to be held on Tuesday 15 April and Tuesday 2 September 2008.

Successful Community Forums

There are many effective ways of having meaningful, face-to-face contact with communities in planning processes. This course explores the purpose and practicalities of methods such as information displays and values and visioning workshops and techniques and even ways to get the most out of a public meeting.

This course is particularly designed for those looking to enhance their skills and methods for engaging with large groups as part of an overall community consultation process.

The outcomes of this course are to:

• Gain practical experience of how to run a successful community workshop
• Understand the different levels of stakeholder involvement and how to establish clear expectations about the purpose of any consultation
• Identify the pros and cons of different large group methods and how to make the most of them (including public meetings)

It is to be held on Thursday 17 April and Wednesday 15 October 2008.

Cross Examination Techniques for Planners

Learn about the art of persuasion with cross-examination techniques and the role of each party at a VCAT hearing from expert consultants and lawyers.

This course is designed for planners who appear at VCAT and who need to sharpen their cross-examination techniques.

The outcomes of this course are to:

• Understand the role of cross examination in acquiring further information
• Learn VCAT’s expectations on the importance of evidence and its use in the Tribunal
• Recognise the methods to collect the information (evidence) by creating and developing the appropriate questions
• Develop more confidence in applying the principles of how to question an expert witness
• Tips of the trade on how to focus during cross-examining

It is to be held on Thursday 4 September 2008.

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