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Before preparing an application, ensure you have all the documentation required.

We offer pre-application meetings, written advice, policies and strategies and checklists to ensure that you are better prepared before you lodge your application.

Lodge your application

• Lodge your application online, pay the application fee and we will shortly confirm the contact details of the planner working with you on your application

We will review your application and provide feedback

Through an initial assessment of your application we may:

• request further information
• refer your application to another authority
• suggest making changes to your application
• indicate we don't support your application in its current form

We may advertise your application

If required, we’ll advertise your application for at least 14 days. This can include:

• sending a letter to your neighbours
• placing a sign at the front of your property
• advertising your planning application online
• receiving objections to your application
• scheduling and attending a mediation meeting with objectors

We will make a decision about your application

We will make our decision based on:

• considering all submissions that we receive through advertising
• considering any referral comments from other authorities and departments of Council
• assessing planning scheme provisions
• preparing a report 

Depending on the type of application, a planning decision may be made:

• by a planning officer
• at a Planning Special Committee
• at an Ordinary Council Meeting

Our decision may be one of the following:

• approval of a planning permit or an amended permit
• notice of decision to grant or amend a planning permit
• notice of decision to refuse to grant a permit or an amendment to a permit

We will give a copy of the decision to the person who has applied for the planning permit and anyone who has provided a submission either supporting or objecting to the proposal.

We aim to process applications as quickly as possible. We aim to make a decision within 60 days of receiving your application. If we require further information, the 60 days starts from the date we receive that information. The more steps your application needs to go through, the longer the assessment will take.

When does a permit begin?

A permit operates from:

• the date it was issued
• the date of VCAT’s decision if no date is specified and the permit was issued at the direction of VCAT (in this case it will need to be backdated to the Tribunal decision date); or
• the date on which it was issued (where no date is specified).

A permit can expire in three ways:

• if the permit is not acted upon; or
• if the use is discontinued as set out in section 68 of the Act; or
• if a permit condition provides that a use may only be conducted until a certain time or that works must be removed after a certain time.

You can also change your approved planning permit, including extending the expiry date. 

VCAT may review your application

VCAT will only review your application if:

• the permit applicant appeals against conditions or refusal
• an objector appeals against a notice of decision to grant or amend a planning permit

Complying with conditions

After we’ve approved your planning permit, sometimes you need to submit further documentation to comply with your permit conditions.

After you submit your documents, we:

• assess your documents
• may seek views from other specialists
• advise you of our decision

After we approve your planning permit, you may need to apply for more permits such as:

• Building Permits
• Asset Protection Permits
• Vehicle Crossing Permits
• Food Business Permits
• Public Health and Wellbeing Permits
• Footpath Trading Permits

This is not an exhaustive list, so make sure that you check with Council and other regulatory services that you have all your approvals in place before you start.

For any queries regarding the process:

• Email: planninginfo@ballarat.vic.gov.au
• Phone: 53205500

The planning permit process can be complicated. The Ballarat planning scheme sets out the controls that govern all land within the Ballarat municipality. This includes the zoning of land as well as any applicable overlays. These controls establish a framework to guide the development of a site together with relevant state and local planning policies. 

The videos below provide an overview of the key aspects of the planning process. These processes may vary depending upon the nature and complexity of a particular case.

To start the application process, we recommend seeking preliminary advice from a planning professional or from the City of Ballarat’s Statutory Planning team. 

City of Ballarat Planners can confirm if a permit is required in response to your request for advice. A request for written advice or a pre-application meeting may be necessary. 

If you are ready to get started:

Submit a application for written advice on planning permit requirements

Submit a request for a pre-application meeting

To start, you must provide the following key documents relevant to your proposal:

1. ***Lodge a planning permit application***
   This instruction had said to 'provide a completed planning permit application' - would lodge a planning permit app sit here or earlier?
    
2. Current copy of the title for the land. Including copies of any covenants and agreements. This should be no older than 30 days. View more property and land titles information at land.vic.gov.au
3. Scaled and dimensioned drawings/plans. This should clearly document your proposed development, including a site plan, demolition plans, floor plans and elevations, as a minimum.
4. A written response to the relevant provisions of the Ballarat planning scheme.
5. The prescribed fee. Summary of planning and subdivision fees

Any relevant supporting technical documents, including but not limited to:

• a Heritage Impact Statement (HIS)
• a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP)
• Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) Statement, including a Built Environment Sustainable Scorecard (BESS) assessment
• Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA)
• Flood Impact Assessment
• Drainage/Stormwater Assessment
• Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI)
• Arboricultural Report
• Biodiversity Impact Assessment
• Noise Impact Assessment
• Written Consent of the Public Land Manager

Please note: Section 47 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 states that where a permit is required to use or develop land, an application must be made to the Responsible Authority in accordance with the Planning and Environment Regulations 2015 (refer Regulation 13). Section 47 states an application must include (inter alia) advice regarding the estimated cost of the development (provision exists on the application form to input this amount) together with the prescribed fee and the information required by the Ballarat planning scheme. The documentation required by the Ballarat planning scheme is dependent upon the nature of the proposal.

View the City of Ballarat Summary of planning and subdivision fees

Planning fees are dependent upon the application type and nature of the proposal. Fees are updated on 1 July each year by the State government. The City of Ballarat is able to set its own fees in relation to certain application types.

Following the assessment process, the City of Ballarat will issue either:

• A planning permit, subject to conditions
• A Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit, subject to conditions
• A refusal to Grant a Planning Permit.

Where the permit applicant or a registered third party does not agree with the City of Ballarat’s decision, an ‘Application for Review’ may be lodged with VCAT, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Visit vcat.vic.gov.au to learn more.

In accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987, a decision should be issued within 60 days of the receipt of an application.

Provisions exist to ‘stop the clock’ where further information is required and this can often delay the process:

• Delays may also be experienced waiting for referral comments
• Organising mediation meetings
• Negotiating improved outcomes.
• The complexity of a case may also cause delays, particularly if the resolution of certain issues requires the input of a variety of stakeholders, including other government agencies.

A fast-track planning approvals process also exists. This is known as the ‘VicSmart’ approval pathway and is reserved for smaller cases satisfying particular qualifying criteria. 

To apply you must submit:

1. A completed: Application for a VicSmart Planning Permit

Standard timeframe for these applications are within 10 business days. Provisions exist to ‘stop the clock’ where further information is required and this can often delay the process

Further information regarding VicSmart applications can be found in the relevant zone and overlay(s) that apply to a site and Clauses 59 and 71.06 of the Ballarat planning scheme.

All planning permits include conditions. Often these conditions require the submission of documents for further approval. Once submitted, these documents will be assessed and if in accordance with relevant conditions will then be endorsed to form part of the permit.

Sometimes documents need to be referred to other City of Ballarat departments and government agencies for further consideration. This can sometimes delay the approval process.

Documents submitted in accordance with planning permit conditions:

• Email: Statutory Planning Team, planninginfo@ballarat.vic.gov.au

To prevent delays, please clearly reference the planning permit number and the condition(s) in accordance with which the documents are being submitted in the subject line of your email.

Documents submitted in accordance with engineering conditions:

• Email: Development Engineering Team, engineering@ballarat.vic.gov.au

When these documents have been endorsed and the City of Ballarat Planning Permit Application Process is complete, it is good to consider what other permits may be required. These might include:

• Building Permits
• Asset Protection Permits
• Vehicle Crossing/Driveway Permits
• Application to Register a Food Premises
• Application to Register a Health Premises 
  (Accommodation and Beauty premises)
• Outdoor Trading Permits

For any queries regarding the process:

• Email: planninginfo@ballarat.vic.gov.au
• Phone: 53205500

View the Advertised Planning Permit Applications available for public notice.

Application consultation

Notice is are sent to surrounding properties and any other parties which may be affected by a proposal. This can be in the form letters to neighbours, sign(s) on-site and pubic advertising. 

Some planning permit applications are publicly advertised in order to better understand local views and conditions. During the public advertising period, planning permit application documents are available to view either online or in person at the City of Ballarat Customer Service, The Phoenix, 25 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat Central.

Please note, application documents are only available for the purpose of considering a development proposal in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Documents must not be used for any purpose which may breach copyright laws.

A submission may be an expression of support or objection.

Some applications are exempt from the notice requirements and review rights of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. These applications will not be advertised.

To make a submission:

1. Go to the Advertised Planning Permit Applications available for public notice
2. Search and select the planning application you wish to respond to
3. Review documentation, select the 'Submit Response' button at the bottom of the page
4. Complete the application response, including uploading supporting attachments

Submission requirements:

• A submission must include your name and contact details (email address, postal address and/or telephone number). Without contact details we are unable to acknowledge your submission or provide you with future correspondence regarding the application.
• An objection must set out your reasons for opposing the development and how you might be affected. The most effective objections are those which include suggested alternatives.

Submission process considerations:

• Petitions are considered one submission only and all correspondence will be addressed to the lead signatory. Please be aware that as lead signatory, responsibility for advising other signatories of the progress of an application (including consultation meetings and City of Ballarat meetings) rests with you.
• The City of Ballarat can only consider representations based on planning grounds (property devaluation and commercial competition are not valid grounds upon which to base a representation).
• All submissions will be made available to the permit applicant at the conclusion of the advertising period. Personal and identifying information will however be redacted in accordance with privacy legislation.
• Submissions are accepted until a permit has been issued.

The post-objection consultation process provides both the permit applicant and interested parties with an opportunity to better understand each other’s views. Consultation meetings are solutions-focussed and are not intended to be a forum for parties to re-state their cases. The key issues generated by a permit application will be known by all parties ahead of a meeting. Parties should attend with an open mind and willingness to negotiate. Where objections have been received in response to a permit application, the assessing officer will first ask the permit applicant if they are willing to attend a meeting. To determine this, together with the assessing officer, the permit applicant should consider the value of any such meeting. 

The permit applicant should consider:

1. The content of the objections received
2. The number of objections received
3. The potential outcomes of any meeting. Based on the content and number of objections received, is it likely that solutions can be found?

This procedure sets out how the post-objection consultation process operates, including the manner in which meetings will be conducted. The post-objection consultation process is not a legislated element of the planning assessment process. Meetings are in addition to permit application notice requirements as set out in section 52 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987and rely upon the willingness of parties to engage in discussions.

The post-objection consultation process is based upon the principles of procedural fairness. These principles reflect what Statutory Planning want all parties to experience when engaging in the planning process. 

These principles are:

1. Transparent – The process is transparent and inclusive so that all parties have the relevant information to fairly articulate their opinions.
2. Voice – All parties have opportunities for genuine interaction and to raise concerns.
3. Fairness – Objectors experience a process that is fair, balanced, consistent, and provides reasonable opportunities for genuine engagement and consideration.
4. Education – Objectors and applicants should feel educated and informed throughout the process as to why outcomes were reached.

To view previously advertised planning applications, search the Town Planning Public Register using a property address or application number.

Please note: Only redacted copies of permits and plans can be provided in accordance with Section 2.1 of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. As such, documents provided to third parties will not include the personal information of the permit applicant or parties associated with the preparation of permit documents.