Ben is the Founder and Executive Chair of Mecone, a leading Australian town planning and urban design consultancy with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Ben has built a reputation for providing valuable planning and design advice to clients in both the public and private sectors. His expertise covers a wide range of planning areas, including strategic planning, statutory planning, and urban design.
Adam Coburn has 20+ years of experience in planning, including development assessment, strategic planning, environmental impact assessment, and development advisory.
He has worked on key site renewals and with government agencies at local and state levels. Adam has expertise in environmental impact assessment for projects in renewable energy, waste and resource recovery, health and education sectors. As Mecone’s Managing Director, he ensures high project standards are met and consulting services are delivered efficiently.
Tom Cook is a highly skilled planner with over 15 years of experience in urban, regional, and rural areas of NSW.
He has executed complex projects on a local, regional, and state level, including large-scale residential, industrial, and commercial developments. Tom has a reputation for developing collaborative stakeholder relationships, providing valuable technical advice, and negotiating successful outcomes for his clients.
James McBride is a highly skilled planner with over 18 years of experience in the planning profession.
James has a strong background in statutory and strategic planning, having held senior roles in both local government and the private sector. Throughout his career, James has developed significant experience in the management and assessment of a diverse range of regional and state significant development including high density residential, commercial, industrial, retail, mixed-use, rural, infrastructure and mining projects. His extensive experience spans greenfield release planning, master planning, due diligence investigations and appeals in the Land and Environment Court.
James brings a thorough understanding of Local and State government approval processes and has in-depth knowledge of planning legislation. James is highly capable of interpreting ambiguous planning policy and formulating an effective approval pathway. James is also a specialist in rezonings / Planning Proposals and has successfully navigated residential and commercial rezonings from inception to finalisation.
Chris is a highly experienced urban planning professional with over 23 years in statutory, strategic, and infrastructure planning and development advisory.
He has worked in both local and state government agencies, specialising in development assessment for residential, commercial, industrial, rural, and infrastructure projects. Chris has also represented clients in the NSW Land and Environment Court for various matters, including development applications, land acquisitions, and criminal prosecutions. He has delivered numerous local planning policies, strategies, and environmental planning instruments. Chris joined Mecone after extensive involvement in planning, development, and infrastructure coordination for multiple land release areas and town centre urban renewal projects in the North West Growth Area.
Recent Projects
Amanda has over 25 years planning experience in Local and State Government and in the property industry.
Amanda has successfully overseen the planning phases of various projects in NSW including multimillion-dollar infrastructure, commercial, mixed use and residential projects for Local and State Government and private-sector clients.
Her experience includes managing and working as part of large and diverse multi-disciplinary teams to deliver major projects and providing tailored advice to her clients.
Alistair has over 20 years planning experience in consulting, local government development assessment roles, and management of a residential construction company, enabling him to apply different perspectives and deliver balanced advice and efficient solutions.
Alistair has successfully overseen feasibility studies, planning approvals and post approval requirements for various projects in Australia, including multimillion-dollar infrastructure, commercial, and residential projects for both government and private-sector clients.
Alistair can provide consenting strategy and feasibility advice, environmental impact assessments (EIA), delivery of planning and environmental approvals, and post approval construction environmental management services. He has experience presenting to planning panels and as an expert witness to the NSW Land and Environment Court.
Martin Karm has over 15 years of experience in infrastructure, urban planning, policy development, and personnel management.
He possesses strong executive and organisational skills, leadership abilities, visionary thinking, and decision-making capabilities, which enable him to identify leading policy directions, manage and nurture teams, and oversee projects from conception to completion. Martin has a reputation as a genuine leader with excellent interpersonal skills. He has successfully led, reformed, and built visionary, multi-functional, and high-performing teams and organisational units.
Ann-Maree has over 20 years experience in the planning sector, with extensive experience managing complex programs of work, leading strategy development, and building and leading multi-disciplinary teams.
Ann-Maree’s professional background spans program and project management, strategic and statutory planning, urban renewal (precinct planning), greenfield development, development assessment, environmental impact assessment, and community engagement.
Phil Cristaldi has over 20 years of experience as a planner and project manager in Queensland.
He provides high-level advice and documentation for renewable and battery store locations. Phil works one-on-one with clients, provides leadership and support to Planning and Urban Graphics and Mapping teams at Mecone, and has experience across residential, industrial, commercial, and retail development sectors. He also managed the delivery of several residential projects in South East Queensland.
Ashley is an experienced urban strategist, with over 19 years’ experience, who brings a wealth of knowledge in urban development and policy formulation from his involvement in a variety of projects across Queensland and Australia. He provides consulting services to a range of private, community, infrastructure providers, local government and state government agencies.
Ashley specialises in providing high value application pathway strategy and delivery advice for projects across a range of sectors and services including, housing, health, education, growth areas, development assessment and independent advice, retirement and aged care, industry, logistics, warehousing, major hazard facilities, tourism and retail.
Steven is the State Director of Mecone Victoria, with a background spanning over 20 years in the planning sector across private consulting, local and state government.
He has extensive experience in various areas including statutory planning, strategies, master planning, community consultation, heritage matters, active transport, and infrastructure projects. Prior to his role at Mecone, he managed the City Places portfolio at the City of Maribyrnong where he led a multi-disciplinary team of professionals including statutory planners, open space planners, landscape architects, urban designers, active transport planners, and heritage advisory services.
Recent Projects
Rubin Winograd is an experienced planner in Victoria’s public and private sectors, with skills in statutory and strategic planning.
He has extensive project management skills, leadership qualities, and sound advice, which he uses to achieve desirable outcomes for Council and clients. Rubin’s time in both sectors has provided valuable experience in understanding the relationship between the private and public sectors.
Paul Keywood has over 20 years of town planning consultancy experience shared between the UK and NSW, advising long-term investors, funds, developers, and operators.
He has coordinated and negotiated approvals for a wide range of development schemes, including office, industrial, logistics, retail, leisure, mixed-use, out-of-home advertising and urban intensification projects. He has also participated in steering groups and influenced policy frameworks relevant to town and city centre regeneration. Paul is skilled in providing tactical and technical planning advice, from early-stage concepts to the coordination and preparation of technical planning documentation for DAs and SSDAs. His focus is always on negotiating successful and commercially-realistic outcomes for his clients.
Lauren has over 10 years of experience in town planning in Australia and the United Kingdom.
She has extensive experience in strategic planning within local and state government bodies. Lauren’s responsibilities have included managing a high caseload of various development applications, providing specialist evidence at the Land and Environment Court, and preparing, reviewing, and analyzing Local Environmental Plans, Development Control Plans, and other planning documents.
Gemma is an experienced statutory planner with over 10 years of industry expertise in the UK and NSW across both public and private sectors. Gemma is a fully chartered member of the RTPI and PIA and has delivered several high-profile and complex projects.
Her extensive experience in statutory planning includes large scale residential, mixed-use, commercial developments, and master planning projects.
Margaret is a highly experienced urban planning professional with a career spanning over 25 years. Margaret has led and worked in multi-disciplinary teams in collaboration with stakeholders and clients to develop strategic plans and policies and prepare tailored strategic planning advice. Her professional experience includes preparation and review of planning proposals, development controls plans to guide greenfield development and urban renewal, precinct planning, advice on targeted planning controls and strategic land use policy development.
Margaret brings a strategic approach to urban planning, focused on innovative thinking, identifying opportunities, and integrated delivery strategies to solve complex urban issues.
Sean is an experienced social planner with a proven track record of working closely with clients to deliver balanced, well-considered assessments that support sound policy and project approvals.
With a rich background in social value, community infrastructure planning, and environmental law, his professional and academic experience brings to projects valuable insights working on complex projects for a range of clients across Australia. As the social planning lead at Mecone, Sean oversees the preparation of Social Impact Assessments, Social and Community Needs Assessments, and social policy for both private and government sectors.