Meet the Team

Elle Clouston

Principal - Planning
B. Regional Town Planning (UQ, Hons 1A), Cert IV Human Resources MPIA, IAP2

Elle is a Principal at HillPDA with over ten years of experience working in the public and private sector in NSW and Qld. Elle’s gained exposure to a broad diversity of planning work, having undertaken advisory services for various government organisations across Australia.

Elle’s understanding of the link between feasibility, economics and planning, enables her to deliver leading practice planning solutions. Elle specialises in strategy writing, including employment land strategies, economic development strategies, local centre studies and housing studies. She also prepares social impact assessments, socio-economic impact assessments, business impacts assessments, planning due diligence and property portfolio analysis. As an accredited member of the International Association for Public Participation Australasia (IAP2), Elle has experience coordinating and facilitating stakeholder and community engagement.

Elle previously worked in the Urban Renewal division of Brisbane City Council, gaining experience planning and determining solutions to best facilitate sustainable, realistic and feasible outcomes for local centres and neighbourhoods. Elle also spent three years as a strategic planner at a design firm where she learnt how to translate design outcomes into robust and realistic planning controls. Elle understands the commercial realities of development projects, subsequently aiming to recommend more viable solutions through her work.

Elle values strong collaboration and partnership with clients, sub-consultants and the community, having successfully project managed various large-scale projects and undertaken community engagement for complex master plans and impact assessments.

Major projects

  • Central Coast Industrial and Employment Land Study  – Central Coast Council
  • Campbelltown Strategic Review of Employment Land  – Campbelltown City Council
  • Edward River Industrial Land Study  – Edward River Council
  • Coffs Harbour Centres and Employment Precincts Strategy  – Coffs Harbour City Council
  • Inner West Retail and Employment Precincts Strategy  – Inner West Council
  • Hornsby Employment Lands Strategy  – Hornsby Shire Council
  • Inner West Employment Lands Strategy  – Inner West Council
  • Norwest Mixed Use Planning Proposal  – Merc Capital
  • Sydney Gateway – Business Impact Assessment  – Transport for NSW
  • Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link Business Impact Assessment  – Transport for NSW
  • Military Road Corridor – Economic Analysis – North Sydney Council
  • North Coast Regional City Economic Analysis and Actions  – Department of Planning and Environment
  • Westconnex Socio-economic and Business Impact Assessment  – Sydney Metro Corporation
  • Sydney Metro -Sydenham to Bankstown Business Impact Assessment  – Transport for NSW
  • Byron Employment Land Study – Byron Shire Council
  • Regional NSW Housing Portfolio Analysis (9 Districts)  – Land and Housing Corporation
  • Strategic Centres – Barriers to Economic Growth  – Department of Planning and Environment
  • Hornsby Villas and Town Houses Supply and Demand Analysis  – Hornsby Shire Council

Accreditations and committees

  • International Association for Public Participation Australasia (IAP2) Accreditation
  • Planning Institute of Australia NSW Divisional Committee
  • Property Council Australia NSW Residential Committee
  • Editorial Team for the PIA New Planner