Making a submission about a planning permit application
If you feel that you are affected by a planning proposal, you can make a submission to the council or responsible authority.
On this page:
How to make a submission
Your submission must satisfy certain conditions – there is information on Effective Submissions to help you:
- It must be in writing
- It should clearly state the reasons for objecting and how you would be affected
- If a group of people are making a combined objection, such as a petition, they should nominate one contact person
- Some types of objections are not allowed, for example, an objection relating solely to commercial competition
- The objection should be lodged by the date shown on the 'Notice of application'.
The council must make a copy of every submission available for inspection. They cannot make a decision on an application until at least 14 days after the giving of the last notice.
After the decision is made however, it is still possible to object by applying for a VCAT review.
The person applying for the permit also has the opportunity to object. For instance, they can object to conditions the council has placed on the permit, and any failure to decide within a specified period of time.
Withdrawing a submission
If you are satisfied with the outcome of negotiations with the permit applicant, or do not wish to pursue your submission, you can withdraw it by writing to council.However, if you withdraw your submission, you will lose your right to apply to VCAT for a review.
Therefore, don’t withdraw your submission unless you are completely satisfied that your concerns have been addressed and the changes have been made to the application or are confirmed in writing.
You can also withdraw a submission conditionally, for example, provided certain changes are made. This will protect your right to apply for a review if the changes are not made.
More information
Planning: a Short Guide provides more detailed information about the permit and review processes for occasional users of the planning system.
This chapter of Using Victoria's Planning System provides detailed information about the permit and review processes.