The State Government has made significant changes to the residential development requirements within Victoria’s Planning Provisions. Planning Scheme Amendment VC243 was gazetted on 22 September 2023 and was made as part of the Victorian State Government’s response to support housing delivery
In a recent article we reported on Moreland City Council’s Planning Scheme Amendment C190, which proposes a new class of local VicSmart application that would allow planning permit applications for two dwellings on a lot within the General Residential and Neighbourhood Residential Zones.
We recently wrote about two VCAT decisions that discussed the VicSmart provisions. As regular readers will be aware the VicSmart provisions have been significantly widened this year to incorporate a larger number of application types.
n the two previous issues of BDAV News we have discussed the changes underway with the Victorian Government’s SmartPlanning program. VicSmart is the fast-track planning permit application process for certain classes of application, and they are non-notified and exempt from third party appeal. The VicSmart arrangements are set out in Clauses 90 to 95 of Victoria’s Planning Schemes. On 27 July 2017, as part of the SmartPlanning Program, the State Government introduced additional classes of application to the VicSmart planning process for the residential zones.
In recent issues we have discussed the extension of the VicSmart system, set out in Clauses 90-95 of the Victorian Planning Provisions (VPP). VicSmart provides a shorter planning permit process for simple and straightforward applications. Two recent VCAT decisions have dealt with the VicSmart provisions and will be of interest to regular permit applicants:
In July 2016, the Victorian Government introduced the Smart Planning program, to make the planning process in Victoria easier to understand, more efficient and accessible by:
Regular permit applicants will be familiar with VicSmart, Clauses 90-95 of the Victorian Planning Provisions (VPP), introduced in 2014. VicSmart provides a shorter planning permit process for simple and straightforward applications. Key characteristics of the VicSmart system include:
One of the most common complaints from planning permit applicants is the length of time taken by Councils to determine planning applications. Councils have a statutory requirement to decide upon planning permit applications within 60 days. In reality, the time taken to determine a planning permit application is often far greater, with a current state-wide average for buildings and works applications, close to 210 days.
In the first VicSmart application to be determined by VCAT, Johnson v Banyule CC [2015] VCAT 444, the Tribunal has provided a timely reminder to Councils & permit applicants that only the limited number of matters set out for each application type are relevant for consideration.
