how to improve your technical writing skills

VPELA’s Young Professionals together with seminar host Urbis

present

How to Improve your Technical Writing Skills

Speakers: Alice Maloney, Senior Associate Planner, Ratio

Natasha Swan, Manager City Planning, Monash City Council

Eliza Minney, Associate, Best Hooper Lawyers

YPG proudly sponsored by

Alice Maloney

Senior Associate Planner, Ratio

How to improve your technical writing skills

YPG Masterclass

Alice Maloney

Four main components to writing:

• Planning

• Writing

• Editing

• Re-writing

Planning

• why are you writing?

- planning permit triggers (traffic, heritage, vegetation removal, flooding issues etc)

- planning policy (ie – WSUD / ESD)

• who are you writing for?

- planning consultant

- Council planner

- Councillors

- VCAT

- Referral Authority

- residents / general public

• what do you want the reader to do?

Writing

- think about structure – make it easy to read / follow

* diagrams (a picture is worth a thousand words)

* tables – easy dissemination of information

* dot points

* appendices (lengthy assessments, technical data)

- less is more – keep it succinct

- use plain English / language (ease up on Shift + F7)

- grammar & punctuation

- clear conclusions / summary / findings / advice

Editing

Proof-reading – making sure to check:

• Is the purpose clear?

• Has content and style been tailored for the reader?

• Have you written clearly & concisely?

• Explain any technical language / jargon

• Are sentences / paragraphs short & easy to follow?

• Check punctuation, grammar and spelling

• No clangers – typos / cut & paste hangovers

Re-writing

• Incorporate any changes / edits

• Clear summary

• Reissue final report

• Get planning permit

Natasha Swan

Manager City Planning, Monash City Council

How to improve your technical writing skills

A Council approach

Council Planners

• Know your audience

• Set the scene

• Define the policy regime

• Provide for an assessment

• Balance competing views

• Respond to community concerns

Council Planners – Know your audience

• Who is likely to read this report

• What level of understanding is necessary to make a decision

• What will a future decision maker or resident make of the report

• Language should always be plain and to the point

Council Planners – Set the scene

• Not an advocate of a particular interest but still an advocate none the less

• What are the key elements– Where is it and why is that important?

– What about the site is relevant later when you get to the assessment?

– What is it?

• What actually needs a permit

• What is the history of the site

Council Planners - Policy

• What are the policy considerations broadly

• Which part of policy is the most critical

• Is the policy in one place or bits and pieces

• What are the policy tensions

Council Planners - Assessment

• Considered the nuts and bolts

• Detail varies from Council to Council so know your expectations

• Hard bit is balancing competing interests

– Traffic vs landscaping

– Native vegetation vs bushfire

– Architectural presentation vs function

Council Planners – Community Response

• Try and avoid technical or dismissive responses

• Be clear why something is not covered by planning

• Offer acknowledgement of personal issues raised and by sympathetic

Council Planners – Community Response

Objection

“The building will damage my property”

• Rather than – ‘this is not a planning issue’ –try…

Council Planners – Community Response

Protection of adjoining properties forms part of the building approval process. The developer has legal responsibilities to assess the condition of adjoining properties and to issue protection notices to ensure these are not damaged during construction.

Council Planners – Community Response

Objection

“The building will take away all the light in my garden where I spend most of my time”

• Rather than – ‘the proposal complies with the overlooking requirements of Clause 55.04-5’ – try…

Council Planners – Community Response

It is acknowledged that there will be some additional shadow caused to the neighbours garden. The plans indicate that for the most part this is confined to a small lawn area under the clothesline and importantly the outdoor seating area and vegetable garden are free of additional shadow impacts

Eliza Minney

Associate, Best Hooper Lawyers

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR TECHNICAL WRITING SKILLS

ELIZA MINNEY, ASSOSCIATE

BESTHOOPER LAWYERS

1. VCAT• Applications for Review• Amended Plans• Expert Evidence

2. Writing Submissions

1. VCAT – Applications for Review

1. Name of Applicant

2. Proposal

1. VCAT – Applications for Review continued

3. Permit Triggers

1. VCAT – Applications for Review continued

4. Statement of Grounds

• Refusal

• Conditions appeals

• Objecting to an Application

1. VCAT – Expert Evidence

• Recommendations

• Numbered paragraphs

• Conclusions

• Practice Note

2. Writing Submissions – Permit Applicant

1. Confirm relevant matter details

2. Background and policy context

3. Permit triggers

4. Key issues and response

5. Conclusion and permit conditions

2. Writing Submissions – Council

1. Council’s processing

2. Policy context

3. Internal referrals, advertising and responses

4. Submissions in relation to each issue, policy and merits based assessment of same

5. Conclusion and conditions

2. Writing Submissions - Objectors

• Don’t need policy/processing background

• To the point, key issues