Victoria · Planning guides
Planning rules in Victoria, explained from the source
What the planning scheme and ResCode actually say about the things people most often want to do with a block, quoted word for word, with what each council sets on top.
Granny flat rules
Can I build a granny flat in Victoria?
In Victoria a granny flat is called a small second dwelling. In the main residential zones the use needs no planning permit if it is the only small second dwelling on a lot that has one existing dwelling, and building it needs no planning permit unless the lot is smaller than the threshold in the zone or an overlay says otherwise. A building permit is still needed, and the Building Regulations set the siting rules where no planning permit applies.
Read the guideDual occupancy and duplex rules
Can I build a dual occupancy in Victoria?
A second dwelling on a lot in a Victorian residential zone always needs a planning permit, because the zone requires one to construct a dwelling where one already exists. The application is assessed against Clause 55, the residential development standards, and against the minimum garden area and maximum height rules in the zone. Whether the design meets the standards decides how much notice, review and negotiation the project attracts.
Read the guideSubdivision and minimum lot size rules
Can I subdivide my block in Victoria?
Subdividing land in a Victorian residential zone needs a planning permit, and the application is tested against Clause 56 and the zone. Most suburban zones set no minimum lot size in the state provisions, but a council schedule can add one, the Low Density Residential Zone has fixed minimums, and any new vacant lot under 400 square metres must keep a quarter of its area as garden. A two lot subdivision that meets the conditions is a VicSmart class.
Read the guideFast-track approvals
What are the fast track approval options in Victoria?
Victoria has three speeds. Some work needs no planning permit at all under the Clause 62 exemptions and the zone's own no permit list. Some work needs a permit but qualifies as VicSmart, a streamlined class decided without notice or third party review against a short list of matters. Everything else is a standard planning permit. A building permit under the Building Act is a separate requirement that applies regardless of the planning pathway.
Read the guideHeight, setback and site coverage rules
What are the height and setback rules in Victoria?
Victoria sets residential height and setback rules in three places that say much the same thing. Clause 54 and Clause 55 of the planning scheme carry the standards where a planning permit is needed, the residential zone carries a mandatory height cap, and Part 5 of the Building Regulations 2018 carries matching siting rules for the building permit where no planning permit applies. A council schedule to the zone can vary most of the numbers, so the parcel's schedule decides.
Read the guideDo I need a development application?
Do I need a planning permit or a building permit in Victoria?
Victoria has no development application. There are two separate approvals. A planning permit is needed only where the planning scheme says so, through the zone, an overlay or a particular provision. A building permit is needed for almost all building work under the Building Act 1993, whether or not a planning permit applies. Many single house projects need only the building permit, and most second dwellings and subdivisions need both.
Read the guideWant the answer for one address?
A $150 preliminary planning report reads the zone, the mapped controls and the state instruments at your parcel and gives the pathway, in three business days.