Water tanks

You may need a Planning Permit, a Building Permit or both to install a water tank.

You may also need other permits, depending on your situation.

How to use this guide

To help you work out which permits you need, start at Step 1 and answer the questions one at a time.

If you need help at any step, email [email protected] or call (03) 9278 4888 and ask for our:

Urban Planning team for help with planning or Planning Permits.
Building Services team for help with building or Building Permits.

Step 1 – Check for any restrictions

Check for easements

An easement is an area of land on your property that councils and other authorities are allowed to access. When an easement is obstructed, it can prevent important maintenance work and block the flow of stormwater.

Check your Certificate of Title for any easements. If you don’t have this document, get a copy from the Landata website for a small fee.

If there are any easements on your property and your plans will block or cover the easement, you may need to submit an application to build over an easement.

Check for special restrictions

Some properties have special restrictions under the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

To check if your property is listed, visit the Department of Transport and Planning website’s Schedule to Clause 51.01 Specific Sites and Exclusions.

If your property is listed, contact our Urban Planning team to find out what special restrictions and exemptions apply.

Does your property have any restrictions?

If yes, check that your plans comply with any requirements, then go to the next step.
If no, go to the next step.

Step 2 – Check if you need a Planning Permit

Create a Planning Property Report on the VicPlan website by entering your property’s address.

This will give you any overlays (restrictions).

You need a Planning Permit if your property is in any of these overlays:

Heritage Overlay and the water tank will be visible from a street or public park
Land Subject to Inundation Overlay or Special Building Overlay, and the tank can hold more than 10,000 litres of water.

For more information about developing in a Land Subject to Inundation Overlay or Special Building Overlay, go to Melbourne Water.

If your property is on the Victorian Heritage Register, you may also need approval from Heritage Victoria. Contact Heritage Victoria for advice on how to apply for approval.

Planning enquiry tool

Use myLot, our free planning enquiry tool, to help you:

find overlays that apply to your property
determine if your water tank requires a planning permit
understand why a permit is or isn't needed, referencing the relevant planning rules and overlays.

This tool is intended as a helpful guide and isn’t a final planning decision.

Use our free planning enquiry tool

Do you need a Planning Permit?

If yes, apply for a Planning Permit then go to the next step. Find out if your project is eligible for a VicSmart Planning Permit.
If no, go to the next step.

Step 3 – Check if you need a Building Permit

If the tank is freestanding, you do not need a Building Permit. Go the next step.

If the tank needs to be supported by another structure (a supported water tank), such as a roof or wall, you need a Building Permit. Apply for a Building Permit, and check below if you need Report and Consent.

Left: example of a freestanding water tank. Right: example of tanks supported by a roof.

If you plan to install the water tank in a building, you may need a Building Permit. This is because of the structural implications from the weight of the tank. To find out if you need a permit, contact our Building Services team on (03) 9278 4888.

Check if you need Report and Consent for a supported tank

Measure the distance from the sides of your supported water tank to the property boundaries. Then measure the overall height of the water tank, from natural ground level to the top of the tank.

Use the following table to find out if you need Report and Consent.

Height of supported tank	Distance from boundary	Report and Consent needed
Under 3.6 m	Less than 500 mm	Yes
Under 3.6 m	500 mm or more	No
3.6 m or more	Less than 500 mm	Yes
3.6 m or more	500 mm or more	You may need Report and Consent. Contact our Building Services team on (03) 9278 4888 to confirm.

Apply for Report and Consent.

Step 4 – Check if you need a permit for tree works

If you need to remove, prune or do works within 2 m of a canopy or significant tree, apply for a Tree Works Permit.

You can install the water tank:

after all your permits have been issued
if you do not need permits.

The water tank must be installed by a licensed plumber.

The tank must be:

fitted with an overflow pipe of the same diameter as the inlet pipe
connected to the stormwater system at a legal point of discharge.