Do I need a planning permit?
We encourage you to do some personal research or consult a professional town planner regarding your proposal and your property's planning controls before approaching Council or making a formal planning application.
What requires a planning permit?
Planning relates to the use and development of land. There are a number of factors that may trigger the requirement for a planning permit. These include the zoning, if any overlays apply, or if there are relevant particular provisions in the Central Goldfields Planning Scheme .
Some uses and development that may require a planning permit include (but are not limited to):
- Building a house or a shed
- Building a dam or other excavations
- Subdividing land
- Industrial or commercial development
- Altering or demolishing a heritage building
- Creating or altering access to a major road
- Establishing a business (including a home based business)
- Keep, breed, board or train animals
- Removing native vegetation
- Displaying signage
- Liquor licensing
Find the zone and any overlays for my property
You can download a free Planning Property Report to identify the planning controls that apply to your property, including the zone and any overlays.
Simply enter your address in the search bar and click on the button 'Create Planning Property Report' in the next screen. The blue links in the report will take you directly to the relevant planning provisions in the Central Goldfields Planning Scheme.
Print an aerial map of my property
You can access Council map about your property by going to the Pozi Interactive Map. This map displays property information as well as other useful information, such as about Council facilities and services.
Simply enter your address in the search bar and you can download or print a map.
Look at the Central Goldfields Planning Scheme
The Central Goldfields Planning Scheme is a statutory document prepared by the Council and approved by the Victorian Minister for Planning. It sets out objectives, policies and provisions relating to the use, development, protection and conservation of land in the municipality. A planning scheme regulates the use and development of land through planning provisions to achieve those objectives and policies.
You can view and download the Central Goldfields Planning Scheme here.
Ask a planner for advice
Council offers a variety of services to help you understand the planning controls that apply to your property, the planning process, and what information may be required if you make a planning permit application. The best way to contact a planning officer is to ring (03) 5461 0610 on Monday to Friday, between 9am and 4:30pm. We encourage you to approach Council early on in the process of designing your proposal or before you buy land with the intention of using or developing it for a particular purpose.
We can advise:
- Whether or not your proposal needs a permit
- If your proposal is prohibited
- What information you need to supply with your application
- How your application will be processed
Go to contact the Planning Department
I want to seek written advice from Council about my property
If you require written advice from Council about your property's planning controls, we invite you to apply for a Planning Information Request. A fee applies for this service, see the Planning Fee Schedule.
How do I know if my application is a VicSmart application?
VicSmart is a streamlined assessment process for straightforward planning permit applications. Classes of application are identified in the planning scheme as being VicSmart and have specified requirements for information, assessment processes and decision guidelines.
Key features of VicSmart include:
- a 10 day permit process
- a reduced application fee (see Part 3 of the Fee Schedule)
- applications are not advertised
- information to be submitted with an application and what Council can consider is pre-set
- the Chief Executive Officer of Council or delegate decides the application.
To be classed as a VicSmart application a proposal must:
- be one of the state application types
- meet all the criteria
- and be located in the specified zone or overlay.
Where a proposal falls into more than one class of VicSmart application the requirements of each class need to be met.
For further information about VicSmart, go to the Department of Land, Water and Planning website where you can download the Applicant's Guide and view other resources.