A planning permit is a legal document that must comply with the Alpine Planning Scheme.
All planning permits are lodged through Greenlight - our planning application portal. Follow the steps below to get prepared before you apply for your planning permit.
Step 1: Do your research
Read relevant property and planning policies that may affect your plans, including:
- Retrieve a copy of the Certificate of Title from LANDATA
- Get a property report to check zoning, overlays, and heritage controls get a property report from VicPlan
- Learn how land can be used a developed by reading the Alpine Planning Scheme
- Check requirements for building on overlays by visiting the Department of Transport and Planning
- Understand your responsibilities for Bushfire Management Overlays (BMOs) by reading the BMO Application Requirements Checklist and visiting the Department of Transport and Planning
Step 2: Get professional advice
Contact industry professionals for technical advice, such as design or planning consultants.
This will help you understand whether your proposal will need a planning permit.
Step 3: Complete a site analysis
- Think about the opportunities and constraints of the site.
- Talk to neighbours and adjoining property owners. If they are unhappy with your plans, you may be able to negotiate with them and reach a compromise before you apply for a planning permit.
- Prepare a site description that includes:
- the characteristics of the site and area
- elements on your site and surrounding properties, such as buildings and trees
If your works involve building extensions, you need to include exact boundary dimensions. To do so, we recommend you contact a surveyor.
Step 4: Prepare your plans
Your plans should be drawn to scale and include:
- existing and new buildings
- floor levels and site levels
- floor plans and elevations
- any earthworks and vegetation that you plan to remove
- how you plan to integrate landscaping into the development
- a design response
Your design response indicates:
- how your plans respond to the context of the site and surrounding areas
- the opportunities and constraints of the site
Step 5: Resolve any queries
If you need further advice before lodging your application, you can make contact with us via Greenlight - our planning application portal.
We can give you advice about your application and highlight any potential issues that may need to be resolved.
Please note that, separate to this meeting, you still must submit an application for a planning permit.
Step 6: Finalise your plans
- Weigh up the feedback you get from us, as well as professionals you have consulted, and your neighbours, if applicable.
- Review your plans and incorporate any changes that you think are reasonable.
- Finalise all of your documents, including:
- site plans
- neighbourhood and site description
- design response
Now you're ready to submit your application via Greenlight - our planning application portal.
Frequently asked questions
Why did I get a request for further information?
After your planning permit application is submitted, it is allocated to a Statutory Planning Officer for assessment.
The Statutory Planning Officer may request further information if there is something missing, or any of the details of the application are unclear.
If further information is required, the Statutory Planning Officer will send a request to the person listed as the contact on the application.
What do I need to do when I get a request for further information?
The request for further information will outline what documents and/or information is missing from your application. If you are unsure about anything, contact the Statutory Planning Officer before submitting.
You may need to engage the services of specialist consultants to assist you in responding to the request for further information.
Ensure you read the letter in its entirety and note the due date for the further information.
How much time do I have to respond to my request for further information?
The request for further information will contain a due date by which you must respond.
If you do not provide Council with all the requested information before the due date, your application will lapse and cannot be assessed further.
You will need to lodge a new planning permit application, including all relevant fees and information.
Can I extend the due date for my response to the request for further information?
If you are unable to respond to the request for further information by the due date, you must request an extension of time by submitting a request via Greenlight - our planning application portal before the due date.
The Statutory Planning Officer will assess your request and provide a written response. Should an extension be granted you must adhere to the revised due date as per the above information.
This information appears on a title document and is not administered by Council.
To obtain a copy of title documents and relevant plans of subdivision, visit LANDATA.
A development plan is an overarching plan that guides development of an area and provides indicative urban design outcomes or policy considerations to inform development.
The development plan must generally be in accordance with the development plan overlay of the site.
Information about neighbourhood character, including the role of neighbourhood character in residential development, can be found by visiting the Department of Transport and Planning.