Applying for a planning permit

1. Overview

Planning covers a very board range of issues, but is essentially about the decision that changes the environment.

Victoria's planning system has local councils and the State Government developing planning schemes to control land use and development. The planning schemes are developed in accordance with policies and strategies and contain planning policies, zones, overlays, and other provisions that affect how land can be used and developed.

View the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning website for a guide in how to use Victoria's Planning System.

If you are wanting to make changes to land, you are encouraged to discuss your plans with our Planning Unit, 1300 666 535.

The Planning team also provides written advice in relation to proposals or permit information. These requests should be made online at link. Requests should include any land titles, sketches, or plans on your proposal. There may be a charge for written advice and if applicable, you will be advised.

Timeframes for assessing permits

Planning applications are separated into three categories, based on their complexity and risk.

In processing applications, the following timeframes we aim to meet the following timeframes, which are less than the statutory timeframes outlined in the planning regulations, being 60 days for most applications.

P1 applications - 10 days (VicSmat, no referrals, exempt from public notice)

P2 applications - 11-45 days (referral, advertising, no objections)

P3 applications - 46-60 days (referral, advertising, objections received, consultation)

Council encourages all applications to be submitted electronically to assist in minimising delays, improving communications and to support decisions being made within a reasonable timeframe.

The Planning Permit Activity Reporting System (PPARS) is an online system which supports the automated collection of permit activity and data on a monthly based from 80 Victorian responsible authorities. Monitoring planning permit activity is a key part of improving Victoria's planning system. Council uses this data to provide vital information to inform planning decisions, measure outcomes and improve the service. View the PPARS website for more information. 

2. Pre-application

Our planners can help you with advice before you submit any planning related application. To make a pre-application appointment click here

Helpful tips

Do your homework

  • Research any planning policies or guidelines that may apply to your proposed project.
  • If it’s a large, complex project, consider hiring a professional to help with design, sustainability and planning issues.

Pre-application advice

  • We strongly recommend you take advantage of the pre-application advice Council ’s planners can provide for you, particularly for larger proposed projects and developments. For simple proposals or alterations and additions, you can pop in to our office and have a brief discussion with one of our planners.
  • If you have any concerns, areas of the planning process that you don’t understand or just want to know you’re on the right track, our planners can help. They’ll also tell you about any relevant Council policies you may need to consider when preparing your application.

Talk to your neighbours

  • Talking to your neighbours before finalising your plans is a very good idea. If they’re unhappy with an aspect of your plans, it will be easier to reach a compromise before lodging a planning application.
  • Being open about your plans from the start can reduce the likelihood of a dispute with a neighbour down the track. If the neighbours don’t object, Council will probably process your application faster.

Review and finalise your plans

  • Once you have advice from Council and your neighbours, take that into consideration when reviewing your plans. Include any of their recommendations that you think are reasonable.
  • Finalise your plans and any written material, including your neighbourhood and site description and design response.

3. Lodge your application

Lodge online planning application 

Please refer to the following information sheet about the planning permit application.

Please refer to the following information sheets which outline what is required with each type of application:

They make sure that your application is assessed according to the Campaspe Planning Scheme, and that the requirements of Campaspe residents and businesses are considered as part of this process.

Contact the Planning Unit for over the phone advice or to arrange a meeting.

It is important that all necessary information is provided with your application so it can be assessed efficiently.

4. Objecting to an application

If you believe that you may be affected by the granting of an advertised planning application, you can object.

Objections are encouraged to be lodged within 14 days from the start of the advertising period, however, objections can be lodged at any time before the decision is made. Objections must be in writing, legible, include your name and address and must also state how you think the proposal will affect you.

Guidelines

If you have valid grounds to object to an application, you can do so, even if you weren’t formally notified. All objections received are made available for public inspection during the entire application process. If you lodge an objection, you will be notified of the decision we make on the application.

To make an objection, you should clearly complete an Objection to Grant a Planning Permit(DOCX, 53KB) form and lodge it with Council.

Council may reject an objection that it considers has been made primarily to secure or maintain a direct or indirect commercial advantage for the objector. In this case, the objection will not be considered.  

Please note objections are not confidential. As required by S57 of the Planning and Environment Act, Council must make a copy of every objection available to any person to inspect, free of charge, during business hours.  

Petitions and multiple signatories

Petitions are counted as one objection, regardless of the number of signatories.  Separate objections are required from each petitioner if you wish to have objector status, otherwise only the first signatory OR any other person as directed, will be registered as an objector. 

5. Assessing an application

Once your application has been received, we will check you have provided all the necessary information and documents.

Under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, Council has 28 days to ask you for further information and/or seek clarification on the documentation supplied. 

When all the requested information has been received, we will determine whether the application should be advertised to affected properties. If advertising is required, all the people likely to be detrimentally affected by the proposal will be given notice of the application. Advertising can be any one or more of the following means:

  • notifying the owners/occupiers of adjoining properties directly by mail
  • erecting a public notice on site
  • placing advertisements in the local paper.

Affected parties are entitled to make an objection, to the application and are encouraged do so within 14 days of receiving notice of the application.

For some applications, Council is required to advertise or refer the application to other statutory authorities for comment. These authorities are entitled to object to an application, or require conditions be placed upon any Notice of Decision or permit issued.

6. Deciding an application

Council has three options when deciding a planning permit application. These are:

  • issue a planning permit, with conditions
  • refuse an application
  • issue a Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit (support application), subject to conditions.

A planning permit can be issued with conditions which the applicant must satisfy before acting on the permit.

View the VCAT website for information about appeal rights, refusals and Notice of Decision of planning permits.

If a planning permit is issued, the applicant must comply with all conditions associated with the permitted use and/or development. If applicants do not comply with permit conditions, enforcement action can apply.

7. Appealing a decision

Applicants may appeal against a decision to refuse a permit or against conditions Council places on a permit. You have sixty days from the date of the decision to lodge an appeal.

Objectors may appeal against a decision to grant a permit or against conditions that Council places on a permit. An appeal must be lodged within twenty-one days of the date of the decision.

In both cases, the application for review must be lodged officially with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), along with the appropriate fee. Each time Council notifies applicants and objectors of its decision, we include details of how to lodge an appeal.

For further information about the appeal process visit the VCAT Planning & Environment website.

8. Making changes to your permit

Under Section 72 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, any requests for amendments to a permit must be made in writing to the responsible authority, together with the relevant fee. Any changes that affect the reason for the permit (preamble) or permit conditions must be lodged under Section 72.

You can also make a request to amend the endorsed plans via the secondary consent mechanism, if your permit contains this condition.

Plans to comply with permit conditions, such as condition 1 and others, are often required to be lodged and approved by Council before a building permit can be issued and works commenced.

Amend a planning permit

Sometimes conditions or plans to a planning permit need to be amended.

Amend an active planning application

Sometimes an active application requires amendment. This form can be used to make changes prior to the planning permit being issued.

Request an extension of time

All planning permits are issued with timeframes for the works to be started and finished. These timeframes can be extended with written consent by Council. In providing consent, you will need to justify why the works have not started, or have not been finished.