Woollahra records six-month geotechnical scrutiny trial

Woollahra Council’s unconfirmed minutes record the commencement of a six-month geotechnical engineer secondment, with additional experts to be retained where deemed necessary.

Council: Woollahra Municipal Council

Meeting: 26 October 2026, 6:30 PM

Recorded status: approved

Source status: Draft minutes; recorded wording may change when confirmed.


BRIEF

Woollahra Council’s unconfirmed minutes record the start of a six-month trial seconding a geotechnical engineer to assess development applications against council controls. The resolution cites Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy applications in Rose Bay, Double Bay and Bellevue Hill and confirms that further experts will be retained where deemed necessary.


KEY FACTS

- The minutes record the commencement of a trial involving the secondment of a geotechnical engineer from a specialist engineering firm for six months.

- The engineer is to assess development applications against Woollahra Council’s current adopted controls.

- Council confirmed that additional qualified and experienced experts will be retained where deemed necessary and requested a report after the trial.

- The minutes cite six State Significant Development Applications lodged or approved in Rose Bay under the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, with further applications in Double Bay and Bellevue Hill.

- The unconfirmed minutes record the resolution as carried 11-0.


ANALYSIS OF THE RECORD

- The recorded resolution notes that the trial has commenced and confirms that further experts will be retained where deemed necessary; it does not specify the engineering firm, cost, number of applications to be reviewed or date for the post-trial report.

- The resolution links additional expert input to development application assessment and advice about development consent conditions, while separately listing court matters involving expert geotechnical advice.

- The court table lists six sites, but includes both a first and a second matter for 28-32 Dover Road; it should not be described as a total of six court matters.


QUESTIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP REPORTING

- Which specialist engineering firm supplied the seconded engineer, and what is the cost and funding arrangement for the trial?

- What criteria will determine when additional experts are retained?

- When will the General Manager table the post-trial report, and what information will it contain?

- What methodology and completion date apply to the cumulative excavation and groundwater-flow study?


RECORDED NEXT STEPS

- Continue the six-month geotechnical engineer secondment trial recorded as having commenced.

- Retain additional qualified and experienced experts if deemed necessary for development application assessment and advice about development consent conditions.

- The General Manager is requested to table a report after the six-month trial period.


SOURCE PASSAGES

The meeting record is labelled unconfirmed and identifies the Ordinary Council Meeting as held on 26 October 2026.
"Ordinary Council Monday, 26 October 2026 6:30 PM Minutes Unconfirmed Woollahra Municipal Council Ordinary Council 26 October 2026 Page | 2 Ordinary Council Meeting Minutes of the Meeting of Ordinary Council held at the Council Chambers, 536 New South Head Road, Double Bay, on 26 October 2026 at 6:30 PM." (Document title and meeting details)

The text calls for noting the commencement of a six-month trial involving a geotechnical engineer seconded from a specialist engineering firm to assess development applications against Council's current adopted controls.
"Note the commencement of a trial involving the secondment of a geotechnical engineer from a specialist engineering firm for a period of 6 months and that the seconded geotechnical engineer is to assess applications against Council's current adopted controls in relation to development." (Item 13.2.3, resolution 699/2026, Part A)

The text calls for noting Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy applications lodged or approved in Rose Bay, including six State Significant Development Applications, almost all involving basement excavation, with further applications in Double Bay and Bellevue Hill.
"B. Receive and note the report, thank staff for commencing the secondment trial, and note: i.that a number of development applications (including 6 State Significant Development Applications (SSDAs)) have been lodged or approved in Rose Bay under the Low and Mid-Rise (LMR) Housing Policy, almost all involving basement excavation with further LMR development applications in Double Bay and Bellevue Hill;" (Item 13.2.3, resolution 699/2026, Part B(i))

The text describes the trial as the first of many steps responding to the 23 March 2026 resolution and states that Council had commenced a cumulative excavation and groundwater-flow study for basement construction in Double Bay and Rose Bay, requested on 28 July 2025 and approved on 25 August 2025.
"and ii.that the trial is the first step of many in responding to Council's 23 March 2026 resolution; and iii.that Council has commenced work on a study on the cumulative impact of excavation/groundwater flows arising from the basement construction in Double Bay and Rose Bay associated with the LMR reforms, as requested in its resolution of the ordinary meeting of Council of 28 July 2025 and approved at its ordinary meeting of 25 August 2025." (Item 13.2.3, resolution 699/2026, Parts B(ii) and B(iii))

The text calls for confirmation that additional qualified and experienced experts will be retained where deemed necessary for development application assessment and advice about development consent conditions.
"Unconfirmed Woollahra Municipal Council Ordinary Council 26 October 2026 Page | 21 C. Confirm that where deemed necessary, additional qualified and experienced experts will be retained to provide expertise for development application assessment and to advise in relation to development consent conditions." (Item 13.2.3, resolution 699/2026, Part C)

The resolution requested that the General Manager table a report after the six-month trial period.
"Request the General Manager table a report post the trial 6-month period. The Motion was put and Carried. Note:In accordance with Council's Code of Meeting Practice a Division of votes is recorded on this matter." (Item 13.2.3, resolution 699/2026, Part E)

The court-matters table lists six sites in Rose Bay and Double Bay under matters that included expert geotechnical advice, with differing recorded statuses.
"D. Note the following Court matters have included expert geotechnical advice: Case nameAddressStatus MD Living Pty Ltd v WMC28 Hamilton Street, Rose BayConsent granted by the Court following s34 agreement. Council's conditions for geotechnical matters included in development consent. Aurora Rose Bay 2 Pty Limited v WMC 37 Newcastle Street, Rose BayOngoing – Hearing scheduled for 22 October 2026. Applicant amended its proposal to remove one level of basement car parking. RM (No.4) Pty Ltd v WMC 342-350 New South Head Road, Double Bay Ongoing – Hearing on 4 and 5 February 2027 Fyve Developments Pty Ltd v WMC 28-32 Dover Road, Rose BayFirst matter – Consent granted by the Court following s34 agreement. Council's conditions for geotechnical matters included in development consent. Second matter – modification seeking to amend geotechnical conditions – awaiting conciliation. Independence Pty Ltd v WMC35-37 Wilberforce Avenue, Rose Bay Ongoing – awaiting conciliation Jonathon Kontopos v WMC 7 Collins Avenue, Rose BayOngoing – awaiting hearing dates E." (Item 13.2.3, resolution 699/2026, Part D)

The item included closed-session consideration of confidential late correspondence concerning litigation or legally privileged advice.
"Options to Establish Ongoing Specialist Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Expertise Note: The Council, in accordance with clause 14.1 of Council's Code of Meeting Practice, entered Closed Session, the time being 7:35pm. Note: The Council in Closed Session, added a new Part D ahead of the vote. Note: The Council returned to Open Session, the time being 7:53pm. (Councillor Jarvis/Councillor Robertson) 709/2026 Resolved: THAT Council in accordance with clause 14.1 of Council's Code of Meeting Practice, resolve to enter into Closed Session with the press and public excluded to consider the confidential late correspondence in relation to this matter. These matters are to be considered in Closed Session as per section 10A (2) (g) of the Act, as the information contains advice concerning litigation, or advice that would otherwise be privileged from production in legal proceedings on the ground of legal professional privilege." (Item 13.2.3, closed-session notes and resolution 709/2026)


SOURCES

https://woollahra.resolve.red/web/Player.aspx?id=2887

https://minutesradar.com/news/woollahra-infocouncil-ordinary-council-meeting-26-october-2026-26-oct-2026-6-30-pm-minutes-woollahra-records-six-month-geotechnical-scrutiny-trial/


Prepared from public council minutes using automated drafting and checks. No meeting attendance or interviews are implied. Check the original record and seek comment before republishing claims or analysis. Illustrations are generic, not depictions of actual projects.