Apply for a planning permit

It is best to seek planning advice early in the process to reduce delays in the approval process.

Seek Planning Advice - It is recommended that you seek the advice of a planning consultant to ensure you are fully informed and prepared. You can also contact Council for either informal or written advice once you have a clear proposal and related plans to discuss.

Engage with your neighbours - Share your project and resolve challenges where you can prior to applying to Council.  

All planning applications require the following information:

1. Planning permit application

A complete planning permit application including the property address, detailed and clear proposal, owner's details, cost of the development and signed declarations.

2. Certificate of Title

A current copy of the Certificate of Title (less than three months old) including the registered search statement, plan of subdivision and any restrictions that apply to the land e.g. covenants or Section 173 agreements. You can purchase a copy of your current Certificate of Title from www.landata.vic.gov.au.  

3. Plans

One copy of the site, elevations and floor plans. Plans must be to scale (1:100 or 1:200).

• Site plans

A site plan is a bird's-eye view which shows your existing and proposed development, and the set-back to boundaries and neighbouring properties/developments.

It must show all structures on the site and any other features, such as vegetation, car parks, driveways, and crossovers. The plans should distinguish clearly between the existing structures and features and those that are being proposed.

A short, written summary should be provided detailing the site coverage, floor area, number of parking spaces, the area proposed for landscaping and any other relevant details.

Example of existing and proposed site plans(PDF, 134KB)

• Floor plans

A floor plan is a bird's-eye view of the existing and proposed structures in your development. It should show the layout of the building, the location and dimension of walls, windows and doors, and the use of each room and area within the building.

Example of a floorplan(PDF, 125KB)

• Elevation plans

Elevation plans are side-on views of your proposed development. Elevations of all four sides (north, south, east, west) should accompany your application.

The plans should show:

• details of construction materials and colours (eg. Basalt Colourbond)
• the height and length of walls, including to the apex of the building from natural ground level
• the slab or footing details
• the dimensions of windows and their height above natural ground level

Example of elevation plans(PDF, 274KB)

4. Complimentary application health check

After you have compiled your application, Council will check your application is ready for submission.

This usually takes between 1-7 days. This check is to ensure that the application documents meet the minimum requirements needed before the application is lodged and allocated to a planning officer.

5. Payment of fees

Council’s Planner will assess the application to calculate the fee. Once the fee amount is determined, then an invoice is raised and provided to the applicant.
The application is considered lodged once payment is received.

Planning permit fees

The planning officer will assess the application and determine if your application needs to be referred to external authorities and/or internal departments.

Assessment and referrals take seven to 28 days to complete. For applications that require referrals, the process may take up to a further four weeks to coordinate responses from internal and external departments.

The planning officer may request further information from you based on the detail provided in your application. You can minimise your chance of receiving a request for further information by following any pre-application advice.

Once the planning officer issues a request for further information, applicants usually have 30-60 days to respond. If the requested information is not submitted within the prescribed time frame, the application will lapse.

The planning officer typically takes seven to 14 days to assess the response to the further information request. For applications that need re-referrals, the process may take up to four weeks to coordinate responses from internal and external departments.

If your planning permit application involves use or development of land that affects other properties, your application may be advertised. The application may be notified by a:

• Mailout to surrounding owners and occupiers
• Notices on site
• Newspaper notes
• Combination of the above

Plans and supporting documents are advertised on Council’s website [insert link] and hardcopies can be made available to view by appointment.
Other people in the community may lodge an objection to your planning application.

In some instances, your planning officer may encourage early public engagement at the pre-application stage (Step 1) to reduce likelihood objections. 

If objections are received, you may be asked to provide a response to the concerns raised by the objector or make changes to the proposal.

Your application is formally assessed and a decision is made. There are 3 types of decisions that can be made on a planning permit application, these are:

• Issue a permit
• Issue a notice of decision to grant a permit
• Refusal to grant a permit

An applicant or objector can appeal a decision at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

VCAT appeals

Once a planning permit is issued, it is your responsibility to make sure that the land use or development is consistent with the permit conditions.

More information can be found on our post-assessment page.

The online application process will take approximately 15 minutes to complete if you have all the required documentation.  

Download an application form(PDF, 1004KB)

You will need:

• Completed application form
• Cover letter detailing the proposal
• Plans drawn to scale and fully dimensioned including:
  • Existing site plan
  • Proposed site plans
  • Proposed elevation and floor plans
• Copy of Title and any restrictions (produced in the last 90 days)

Other information may be requested by Council if it is considered necessary to assess the application. 

Email all documents to planning@westwimmera.vic.gov.au

If you prefer to submit a paper form, complete an application form(PDF, 1004KB) and return it to our service centres at Kaniva or Edenhope, or mail to PO Box 201 Edenhope VIC 3318

You will need:

• Completed application form
• Cover letter detailing the proposal
• Plans drawn to scale and fully dimensioned including:
  • Existing site plan
  • Proposed site plans
  • Proposed elevation and floor plans
• Copy of Title and any restrictions (produced in the last 90 days)

Other information may be requested by Council if it is considered necessary to assess the application.