What is a Planning Permit?

The Planning and Environment Act 1987 sets a 60-day statutory timeframe for councils to decide on most planning permit applications. In theory, a well-prepared standard application should receive a decision within roughly three months of lodgement. 

Here is what suspends the 60-day clock and why real-world timelines almost always run longer:  

•  Advertising (notification period) 

When an application must be publicly notified, which applies to the majority of residential development applications, a mandatory 14-day advertising period runs. During this period, the time is paused. Any objections received add further time for a council hearing and officer deliberation. 

•  Requests for Further Information (RFI) 

If council requires additional documentation, additional drawings, a heritage assessment, or a traffic impact report, the clock stops until that information is provided. The quality and completeness of the original application directly determines whether an RFI is issued. A well-prepared submission significantly reduces this risk. 

•  Referral authorities 

Applications involving properties near major roads, waterways, or vegetation overlays are referred to external authorities, VicRoads, Melbourne Water, the Country Fire Authority, or Parks Victoria. Each referral authority has its own response period. The 60-day clock is paused while referrals are outstanding. 

•  Internal council workload 

Councils with high application volumes, particularly inner-city councils, process applications more slowly in practice, regardless of the statutory timeframe. A statutory 60-day obligation does not prevent a six-month queue. 

VicSmart is Victoria's fast-track planning permit pathway for lower-complexity applications. Eligible VicSmart applications are assessed within 10 business days, require no public advertising, and carry no third-party objection rights. For qualifying projects, VicSmart reduces months of uncertainty to roughly two weeks. 

Amendment VC288 - The 2025 expansion that changed dual occupancy timelines 

In October 2025, Amendment VC288 expanded VicSmart eligibility to include dual occupancy developments (two dwellings on a lot) and two-lot subdivisions, previously among the most time-consuming permit types in the system. Under VC288, these applications can now qualify for the 10-day VicSmart pathway, provided: 

• The site is in an eligible residential zone (GRZ, NRZ, RGZ, MRZ, TZ - the Low Density Residential Zone is excluded) 
• The proposal fully complies with all Clause 55 (ResCode) standards, including setbacks, heights, site coverage, solar access, and overlooking controls 
• No overlay exclusions apply - Heritage Overlays, Bushfire Management Overlays, Environmental Audit Overlays, and Neighbourhood Character Overlays generally remove VicSmart eligibility 
• All other VicSmart criteria under Clause 71.06 are met 

For sites that qualify, VC288 effectively removes the months-long planning timeline from dual occupancy development. For sites that do not qualify, particularly those in Heritage Overlay areas or with non-compliant designs, the standard process applies. 

SilverPoint Building Designers and Planning Consultants assess VicSmart eligibility as part of every dual occupancy and subdivision feasibility assessment. If your site qualifies, we will tell you, and structure the application to stay within the pathway. 

Other common VicSmart-eligible applications include: carports and garages, small additions, single dwellings on lots under specified areas, minor signage, and certain vegetation removal applications.

The single most controllable variable in any planning timeline is the quality of the application lodged. A well-prepared, council-specific submission with complete documentation reduces RFI risk, supports smoother advertising, and gives the assessing officer everything they need to write a recommendation. 

SilverPoint Building Designers & Planning Consultants reduces planning timelines through: 

Pre-application engagement - For complex applications or those in challenging council areas, SilverPoint arranges pre-application meetings with council officers. A well-targeted pre-application meeting surfaces potential issues before lodgement, not after, and demonstrates to council that the application is prepared by someone who understands their scheme.

Complete first submissions - Every SilverPoint application is reviewed against council's specific planning scheme, overlay controls, and known assessment criteria before lodgement. This is not a generic checklist. It is a submission built for the specific council's expectations. 

Proactive RFI responses - When councils do issue RFIs, SilverPoint responds quickly with complete and targeted documentation. Delayed or partial RFI responses are one of the most common causes of avoidable extended timeframes. 

Council relationships built over 40 years - Knowing how particular councils assess particular application types and what information they need to approve confidently comes from decades of direct experience inside these schemes.