Apply for a Planning Permit

You need a Planning Permit to:

• start a new development
• use land in a specific way
• complete building works if your property is in certain overlays and zones, such as:
  • Heritage Overlay
  • Special Building Overlay
  • Significant Landscape Overlay
  • Land Subject to Inundation Overlay
  • Transport Zone
  • Residential Zones (depending on lot size)
  • Commercial Zones.

A Planning Permit is a legal document. It shows that your plans comply with our Boroondara Planning Scheme.

Apply online for a Planning Permit

Once you've prepared your documents, you're ready to apply online for a Planning Permit and pay the application fee.

Ensure your supporting documents and plans aren't password-protected and don't contain personal information like individual names and contact details.

Apply for a Planning Permit

What to include with your application

In your application, include:

• your Certificate of Title, no more than 28 days old – get this from the Landata website
• a cover letter that explains your plans
• a design response or explanation of the proposed use
• a copy of your plans drawn to scale
• payment of the application fee. 

Your application may also need to include:

• a neighbourhood and site description
• Metropolitan Planning Levy (MPL) certificate.

Application fee

When you submit your Planning Permit application, you must pay an application fee set by the Victorian State Government. The fee depends on the type of development and estimated cost of works. The fee will be calculated for you automatically when you apply for your Planning Permit.

For a list of fees:

• visit Victoria State Government planning and subdivision fees
• download the fee schedule, available in Downloads below.

Change your application (Sections 50 and 57A)

Under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, you can request a change to your Planning Permit application before a decision is made.

Submit an online form and we will review your request.

• To change your application before advertising starts, select: Amendment of application before public notice (section 50, Planning and Environment Act 1987)
• To change your application after the completion of advertising, select: Amendment of application after public notice (section 57A, Planning and Environment Act 1987)

Change your application (Sections 50 and 57A)

You may be required to give notice of your application again (see Notice period, below).

For S57A applications, a fee of 40% of the original application fee will be applied. We'll send you an invoice after we receive your amendment form. 

If you wish to change a permit that has already been issued or change endorsed plans, please refer to our Amend or extend a Planning Permit page.

Assessing your application

We assess your application against:

• the Boroondara Planning Scheme
• the Planning and Environment Act 1987
• responses from relevant authorities
• community submissions.

After you submit your application we might contact you for more information. We'll put your application on hold during this time. You must respond within 28 days of us receiving your application, or your application lapses.

We sometimes ask external authorities (such as Melbourne Water or VicRoads) for technical advice on your proposal. External authorities have 28 days to reply to us.

Notice period

If your plans could negatively affect your neighbours' use or enjoyment of their land, we'll require you to give notice of your plans.

During the notice period, neighbours and others affected by your proposal can object to a Planning Permit application.

The notice period lasts at least 14 days. We must consider all submissions until a decision is made, even if this takes longer than 14 days.

We sometimes hold an informal meeting with you and:

• anyone who objects to your application
• the relevant Ward Councillor.

This helps us better understand the issues raised and look for solutions.

Making a decision

After considering your application, we will do one of the following:

1. approve your permit
2. approve your permit with conditions
3. issue a notice of decision to grant a permit
4. refuse your permit
5. defer our decision to the Urban Planning Delegated Committee.

When we defer our decision, those with an interest (such as the applicant, relevant authorities and anyone who objected) can address the Committee before they deliberate.

If we approve your permit with conditions, you must amend your plans to meet these conditions.

Download and complete the request to endorse amended plans form (available under 'Downloads' below). Email your amended plans and form to [email protected].

There is no fee when you submit plans for endorsement but you might be charged a fee if the plans for endorsement are not satisfied and need to be resubmitted (this only applies to second or subsequent submissions).

If you don't agree with our decision, you can lodge an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) within 60 days. VCAT's decision is final. Find out how to lodge an appeal on our VCAT appeals process page.