About The Planning Professionals
The Planning Professionals is led by Managing Director Kari Wheeler, whose career progression reflects both exceptional technical ability and strong leadership. Kari has over ten years’ experience as a town planner across both private practice and government sectors, bringing a well-rounded and practical understanding of planning systems from all perspectives. Her background also extends to heritage architecture, providing valuable insight when navigating sensitive and complex planning matters.
Kari commenced her career as a town planner and quickly distinguished herself through her strategic thinking, attention to detail and client-focused approach. Her skill set and natural aptitude for planning saw her progress rapidly into a Senior Planner role. Under the mentorship of Tufan Chakir, Kari continued to refine her expertise across a broad range of planning matters, ultimately stepping into the role of Managing Director. Her appointment reflects not only her depth of planning knowledge, but also her intelligence, professionalism and ability to lead complex projects with confidence. The Planning Professionals team fully supports and embraces this evolution, marking an exciting chapter of growth and positive change for the practice.
Founder Tufan Chakir remains an integral part of the business. A Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia with more than three decades of professional experience as both a town planner and registered architect, Tufan brings invaluable insight into the design and planning process. His architectural background, combined with extensive planning expertise, continues to underpin the high standard of consultancy services provided by the practice.
Together, Kari, Tufan and The Planning Professionals team have delivered planning permit assistance across Geelong and throughout Victoria for a diverse range of industries. This includes medical centres, funeral homes, caravan parks, offices, industrial and warehouse developments, hospitality venues, retail and commercial uses, schools, places of worship, residential developments and multi-unit projects. The breadth of experience is extensive and continues to grow.
Having worked across all local government regions, The Planning Professionals are trusted planning application consultants for developers and property owners throughout the Geelong region and beyond.
If you would like to learn more about The Planning Professionals or gain insight into the experiences of our clients, we invite you to check out our Google reviews to see how our expertise, professionalism and client-focused approach have helped deliver successful planning outcomes.