Residential development provisions

The residential development provisions are part of every planning scheme in Victoria and need to be considered in the context of other parts of the planning scheme. Planning scheme content may vary from municipality to municipality. Planning Schemes Online gives you access to all Victorian planning schemes.

On this page:

Planning schemes

Objectives

Standards

Decision guidelines

Practice notes

Planning schemes

Applicants for the development of dwellings must consider the following (as set out in the planning scheme):

  • The relevant state, regional and local strategic policies contained in the State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) and Local Planning Policy Framework (LPPF)

  • The purpose and requirements of the relevant residential zone and schedule to the zone

  • The purpose and requirements of any overlay and schedule

  • The relevant provisions of Clause 54 (one dwelling on a lot) or Clause 55 (two or more dwellings on a lot and residential buildings) including the neighbourhood and site description and design response

  • The relevant general provisions

  • Any comments of referral authorities, neighbours and others.

Clause 54 (one dwelling on a lot), Clause 55 (two or more dwellings on a lot and residential buildings) and Clause 56 (residential subdivision) of planning schemes provide:

  • Objectives that must be met

  • Standards that must be met

  • Decision guidelines

Objectives

An objective describes the desired outcome to be achieved in the completed development.

  • All applications must meet all the objectives of Clause 54 or Clause 55. The objectives aim to achieve residential development that :

    • respects neighbourhood character

    • protects amenity

    • is more sustainable.

  • There can be no “trading off” between objectives.

  • In deciding whether the development meets an objective, council must consider the associated standard and decision guidelines.

Standards

A standard contains the requirements to meet the objective. A standard should normally be met. However, if the council is satisfied that an application for an alternative design solution meets the objective, an alternative design solution may be considered.

  • Each objective contains a standard.

  • Council can vary some of the standards in Clause 54 and Clause 55 by using the schedule to the residential zone or a schedule to a Neighbourhood Character Overlay.

Decision guidelines

The decision guidelines set out the matters that the council must consider before deciding if an application meets the objectives.

  • Most objectives of Clause 54 and Clause 55 have decision guidelines. The decision guidelines set out matters that will help council decide whether:

    • The objective will be met if the standard is met

    • The objective will be met if an alternative design solution is used.

  • All of the decision guidelines must be considered. This does not mean that council needs to document its consideration of each individual decision guideline. A general statement in council’s report on the application that it has considered all of the objectives and decision guidelines will usually be sufficient.

Planning practice notes

A series of Residential Development practice notes are available to assist in understanding the residential development provisions. Other practice notes and guidelines on related matters are available on the Planning practice notes pages of this website.

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