Planning law in Victoria
This factsheet explains the Victorian Planning System and highlights public rights to participate in the development decision process. It is useful for anyone who wants to comment on a development application.
Key takeaways
In Victoria, land use and development are regulated under the:
- Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic) (P&E Act)
- Planning and Environment Regulations 2015 (Vic) (P&E Regulations)
- Relevant Municipal Planning Scheme incorporating the Victorian Planning Provisions.
Objectives of the Act and Regulations:
The purpose of the P&E Act is to establish a framework for planning the use, development and protection of land in Victoria in the present and long-term interests of all Victorians.
The two objectives of the P&E Act are to:
- provide for fair, sustainable, pleasant and safe land use and development
- provide a clear, orderly structure for land use and development.
A planning scheme will ‘zone’ land for a particular use. Common uses include residential, commercial or industrial uses. The zones regulate the activity that can occur on land and set out the information that is required to support a permit application. Overlays can apply to land in addition to a zone, with some land having many overlays and some having none.
Crucially, zones provide information relating to the:
- Use of land
- The development of land
- Information required to support a permit application
- Exemptions.
Key actions
Visit:
- VicPlan – a key mapping tool to locate what planning controls (zones/overlays) apply to specific land in Victoria
- Planning Schemes Online – a source of all the planning schemes in Victoria
- Guide to Victoria’s Planning System – a thorough and detailed guide to Victoria’s planning system
- VicSmart permits on the Department of Transport and Planning website  to find out more about the types of application classes that qualify for the VicSmart application process Victoria Planning Provisions – 71.06 – Operation of VicSmart Applications and Process
