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Submit your planning application
Register as a user.
Please register as a user for the portal 48 hours prior to making a submission.
Planning permit application
Our planning application process is fully digital. First you need to register as a user on our eServices website.
For large companies, we recommend using a single generic email address, login and password, so all your applications can be accessed from one place.
Understanding the Planning Process and decisions
There are a number of steps involved in our planning process, from pre-application to planning decision, although not all applications require every step. View Moonee Valley’s Statutory Planning Delegation Policy (PDF, 249 KB). You can find out more about each step below.
Prior to making a planning application
- Check the Title at Landata for any restrictions on the land.
- Find out the planning controls for your property or business.
- Discuss your proposal with a planning consultant or other related professional.
- Speak with your neighbours.
All properties have a set of planning controls that specify when a planning permit is needed. If you are unsure of what planning controls apply to your property or site you can:
- buy a planning certificate online from Landata .
- view planning maps at the Department of Sustainability and Environment website .
Once you have a concept including some plans book in a pre-application meeting with us!
What to submit with your request
- A recent (no older than 3 months) Certificate of Title and Plan of Subdivision
- Concept floor plans showing, for example, building footprints, setbacks and property boundaries.
- Concept elevation plans.
- If the meeting is for heritage development, please provide a colour and material schedule (with samples).
- If the meeting is for a change of use application, please describe the use as much as possible. For example – proposed opening hours, staff numbers, number of seats, etc.
- If the meeting is for a liquor license, please provide a plan showing red line areas, patron areas and operating hours.
We recommend that you get a professional to help you with your proposal. We’ve also prepared some standard application checklists to help you prepare your application.
All applications can submitted online.
You can use the following links to submit your application:
- Planning Permit application (for all applications other than those relating to a single dwelling, amendments or VicSmart applications)
- Planning Permit application – Single dwellings (e.g. dwelling extension/new dwelling in an Overlay)
- VicSmart Planning Permit application
Please note, all mandatory fields in the lodgement portal must be completed for your application submission to be successful.
Once we receive your application we will send you a letter. The letter will include some details about the planning process.
All applications lodged will also be in our online register.
Please note that we will only contact the applicant you nominate. This helps us to process applications without unnecessary delays.
What is required with your application
The information that you need to give us will depend on what you want to do. Generally, all applications need the following:
- Payment (see planning fees);
- A summary of your proposal;
- An estimate of the cost of the proposal. If your development will cost more than the current levy threshold you will need to pay the Metropolitan Planning Levy (MPL). We’ll need a copy of the MPL certificate;
- A Certificate of Title (landata website);
- Plans;
- A planning report.
Our officers will review your application make sure everything is in order.
If we need more information, we will let you know within 28 days.
If you need more time to get this information to us, please email us at council@mvcc.vic.gov.au. Please include the reasons why you need more time and provide us with a reasonable revised due date.
Your application will lapse if you do not respond to our request. If your application has lapsed you will need to apply again and pay all fees.
If required we will refer your application to other internal and external departments. This may include the following:
- Development Engineering (Drainage)
- Traffic and Transport
- Local Laws
- Health
- Arborist
- Waste
- Environment Sustainable Design (ESD)
- Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
- Heritage
- Melbourne Water
- VicRoads
- Melbourne Airport.
If your application needs to be referred, please allow for extra assessment time. There may be additional issues raised as a result of the comments provided by these bodies.
The Victorian planning system is set up to ensure that any interested party can have a chance to comment on a planning permit before a decision is made.
The officer will decide if and how public notification occurs. This could take the form of:
- direct mail notification
- on-site signage and
- an advertisement in the local newspaper.
If we are satisfied that the application will not negatively impact anyone there may not be a need to advertise. There are also some applications, such as VicSmart permits, that are exempt from notice requirements.
If public notification is required, it must be carried out for a period of at least 14 consecutive days or 30 days during the Christmas holiday period.
All plans and reports that form part of an application, including personal information, are available online during the application process. Residents who may be affected by an application will receive a notice by post.
All advertised applications are on our online register .
If you decide to change your plans after notice has occurred, you will need a Section 57A amendment. This will incur a fee of 40% of the original application fee. Section 57A amendments can are lodged through the online applications portal .
Lodging an objection
During advertising a person can make a submission about the proposal. This can be either an objection or support. If you wish to objector/support a planning application this can done online.
Anyone can object to a planning permit application. We must consider all objections and submissions when we make our decision. Read more about responding to an advertised plan.
Following the above stages, the relevant planning officer will conduct their final assessment and prepare a report, including the following:
- Site details
- A description of the proposal
- Relevant policies and planning scheme requirements
- Any internal/external referral comments
- A discussion/assessment of all relevant planning matters
- A response to any objections
- A recommendation/determination on the application
View Moonee Valley’s Statutory Planning Delegation Policy (PDF, 249 KB).
Once the officer report is finalised, it will either be reviewed under delegation, presented to an internal panel or presented at a Council Meeting for a final decision, which will result in one of the following outcomes:
Grant permit if no objectors
If no objections are received, and the officer recommendation/determination is supported, we can issue a planning permit to the applicant. Any permit granted will likely be subject to certain conditions.
Grant permit if there are objectors
If objections are received, and the officer recommendation/determination is supported, we must issue a Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit. All objectors will be sent this notice and will have 28 days to lodge an application for review (appeal) with VCAT, if they wish. The applicant can also apply to VCAT within 60 days to have any conditions reviewed.
If no objectors lodge an application for review with VCAT during this time, Council will then issue a planning permit.
Refusal of permit
Council may decide to refuse to grant a permit, even if no objections are received.
If a permit is refused, a Notice of Decision to Refuse to Grant a Permit will be issued with specific grounds outlining why the permit has been refused. This will be sent to the applicant, any person who objected and relevant referral authorities. An applicant can apply to VCAT within 60 days to have this decision reviewed.
If you are dissatisfied with Council’s decision regarding a planning permit, you have the right to lodge an application for review with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) . This may include, but is not limited to, decisions relating to:
- objecting to the granting of a permit
- objecting to a refusal of a permit and
- objecting to the conditions placed on a permit/or lack of conditions.
Please see Extension of time section on the Post permit application page.
Visit Landata website to get a copy of title.
Vicsmart applications
Low impact, straightforward planning permit applications may be eligible to be a VicSmart application. All relevant application requirements must be met for a VicSmart application to be processed.
All relevant VicSmart application/information requirements can be found under Clause 59 (VicSmart applications and requirements) of the Moonee Valley Planning Scheme. However, more information and checklists for the different classes of VicSmart applications can be found online at the Department of Transport and Planning.
Amend a planning permit (Section 72 amendment)
You need to register an account before submitting a Section 72 application online. Once you have registered, you can submit your application to amend a planning permit.
Amend an existing planning permit:
You can apply to amend your planning permit if you need to amend:
- the conditions of a planning permit
- the use or development for which the planning permit was issued
- approved plans.
Please read the conditions on your planning permit, including expiry date, to make sure you can amend it. To amend the expiry date of your permit, see the section on Extenstion of time on a planning permit.
As a minimum you will need to provide the following information with your Section 72 amendment application:
- current copy of the Certificate of Title for your property (less than 3 months old). You can get a current copy of the Certificate of Title for your property by searching the title register at Landata .
- original permit number
- information about whether the approved use/development has commenced
- a clear list and explanation of the changes that you want to make to your planning permit, permit conditions, or endorsed plans
- PDF copies of amended plans clearly showing the proposed changes if relevant
- a town planning report justifying the amended proposal against the relevant provisions of the Moonee Valley Planning Scheme.
Please see Make a payment page for the relevant fees.
Planning application timeframes
We know applicants are often under time and financial pressures, so we do our best to process applications as efficiently as possible.
However, there are strict processes that must occur during the assessment. It is important that applicants understand the process and the potential time that it can take to reach a decision.
State legislation stipulates that applicants can refer an application to VCAT if we fail to decide within 60 days.
If you are asked to provide further information, it is 60 days from the date all the relevant information is received and any advertising requirements are met.
Realistically, depending on the size and detail of the proposed works, it can take anywhere from 4 weeks for small applications to much longer for large-scale applications. The more steps needed to pass through the assessment process, the longer a decision is likely to take.