Practice and advisory notes in accessible Word format
This page contains versions of planning practice and advisory notes in accessible format. These notes are generally aimed at the planning practitioner however they can also help people who only occasionally interact with the planning system.
For further information about images in these documents please email planning.systems@dpcd.vic.gov.au
View the practice notes in PDF format
Practice Notes
PN56: Activity Centre Zone, September 2009 PN56 (DOC - 3.0 MB)
PN63: Applying for a planning permit to farm chickens, December 2012 (DOC - 93 KB)
PN11: Applying for a permit under the flood provisions, August 2000 (DOC - 269 KB)
PN12: Applying the flood provisions in planning schemes, November 2012 (DOC - 124.5 KB)
PN01: Applying the Heritage Overlay, September 2012 (DOC - 131 KB)
PN23: Applying the Incorporated Plan and Development Plan Overlays, January 2003 (DOC - 548 KB)
PN02: Applying the Public Land Zones, republished June 2011 (DOC - 94 KB)
PN42: Applying the rural zones, March 2007 (DOC - 130 KB)
PN03: Applying the Special Use Zone, February 1999 (DOC - 137 KB)
PN15: Assessing a planning application for a dwelling in a residential zone, December 2001 (DOC - 84 KB)
PN33: Assessing applications involving native vegetation removal, March 2006 (DOC - 199 KB)
PN34: Assessing mining proposals, April 2006 - This practice note is being revised.
PN74: Availability of planning documents, December 2012 (DOC - 88 KB)
PN19: Biodiversity, March 2002 (DOC - 186 KB)
PN51: Buildings and native vegetation removal, revised July 2009 PN51 (DOC - 100 KB)
PN35: Extractive industry proposals, April 2006 - This practice note is being revised.
PN52: Farming and native vegetation removal, revised July 2009 PN 52 (DOC - 105 KB)
PN60: Height and setback controls for activity centres, April 2010 PN60 (DOC - 82 KB)
PN36: Implementing a coastal settlement boundary, October 2006 (DOC - 333 KB)
PN13: Incorporated and reference documents, August 2000 (DOC - 97 KB)
PN61: Licensed premises: assessing cumulative impact, March 2011 PN61 (DOC - 77 KB)
PN16: Making a planning application for a dwelling in a residential zone, December 2001 (DOC - 96 KB)
PN53: Managing coastal hazards and the coastal impacts of climate change, July 2012 (DOC - 73 KB)
PN48: Managing native vegetation in the planning system, September 2008 (DOC - 103 KB)
PN54: Managing referrals and notice requirements, January 2009 (DOC - 69 KB)
PN29: Ministerial powers of intervention, November 2004 (DOC - 89 KB)
PN49: Native vegetation offsets, September 2008 (DOC - 85 KB)
PN18: Planning considerations for horticultural structures, February 2002 (DOC - 87 KB)
PN55: Planning in open drinking water catchments, November 2012 (DOC - 70 KB)
PN75: Planning requirements for heliports and helicopter landing sites, December 2012 (DOC - 81 KB)
PN30: Potentially contaminated land, June 2005 (DOC - 123 KB)
PN31: Preparing a green wedge management plan, August 2005 (DOC - 113 KB)
PN50: Preparing a native vegetation precinct plan, September 2008 (DOC - 77 KB)
PN77: Pre-setting panel hearing dates, October 2012 (DOC - 63 KB)
PN32: Review of planning schemes, February 2006 (DOC - 90 KB)
PN37: Rural residential development, May 2012 (DOC - 87 KB)
PN24: Shipping container storage, January 2003 (DOC - 114 KB)
PN46: Strategic Assessment Guidelines, April 2008 (DOC - 102 KB)
(see also Strategic Assessment Guidelines checklist template)
PN58: Structure planning for activity centres, April 2010 PN58 (DOC - 114 KB)
PN45: The Aboriginal Heritage Act and the planning permit process, October 2007 (DOC - 97 KB)
See also Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and the Environment Effects process, August 2007 (DOC - 96 KB)
PN57: The Parking Overlay, April 2013 (DOC - 149 KB)
PN59: The role of mandatory provisions in planning schemes, September 2010, PN59 (DOC - 51 KB)
PN43: Understanding neighbourhood character, December 2001 (DOC - 97 KB)
PN27: Understanding the residential development standards, June 2004 (DOC - 1.4 MB)
PN17: Urban Design Frameworks, September 2002 (DOC - 516 KB)
PN47: Urban Growth Zone, June 2008 (DOC - 249 KB)
PN38: Using the access and mobility management provisions of Clause 56 - Residential subdivision, October 2006 (DOC - 131 KB)
PN39: Using the integrated water management provisions of Clause 56 - Residential subdivision, October 2006 (DOC - 817 KB)
PN28: Using the neighbourhood character provisions, July 2004 (DOC - 139 KB)
PN22: Using the car parking provisions, April 2013 (DOC - 173 KB)
PN40: Using the residential subdivision provisions of Clause 56 - Residential subdivision, October 2006 (DOC - 143 KB)
PN41: Using the site management provisions of Clause 56 - Residential subdivision, October 2006 (DOC - 72 KB)
PN07: Vegetation protection in urban areas, August 1999 (DOC - 217 KB)
PN08: Writing a Local Planning Policy, November 2012, (DOC - 75 KB)
PN04: Writing a Municipal Strategic Statement, September 2010, PN4 (DOC - 140 KB)
PN10: Writing schedules, May 2000 (DOC - 683 KB)
Advisory Notes
AN34: Addressing the Transport Integration Act in a planning scheme amendment (DOC - 73 KB)
AN16: Amendment VC49, September 2008 (DOC - 98 KB)
AN22: Amendment VC60, September 2009, AN 22, (DOC - 85 KB)
AN03: Applying the Residential 3 Zone, November 2004 (DOC - 73 KB)
AN46: Bushfire Management Overlay - mapping methodology and criteria, January 2013 (DOC - 66 KB)
AN33: Bushfire protection - Community fire refuge and private bushfire shelter exemptions - Amendment VC83, November 2011 (DOC - 27 KB)
AN39: Bushfire protection - vegetation exemptions - Amendment VC83, November 2011 (DOC - 30 KB)
AN40: Bushfire protection - Bushfire planning provisions - Amendment VC83, November 2011 (DOC - 28 KB)
AN20: Bushfire replacement buildings - Amendment VC57, May 2009 (DOC - 58 KB)
AN09: Changes to the gaming provisions in planning schemes, October 2006 (DOC - 86 KB)
AN05: Changes to the planning permit process, May 2005 (DOC - 107 KB)
AN06: Changes to the planning scheme amendment process, May 2005 (DOC - 91 KB)
AN44: Defendable space under the Bushfire Management Overlay, February 2012 (DOC - 75 KB)
AN30: Delivering Melbourne's newest sustainable communities - Amendment VC68, August 2010, AN30 (DOC - 53 KB)
AN18: Government funded education facilities - Amendment VC56, May 2009 (DOC - 58 KB)
AN19: Government funded social housing - Amendment VC56, May 2009 (DOC - 142 KB)
AN04: Interim height limits for neighbourhood centres, November 2004 (DOC - 90 KB)
AN13: Interim provisions for structure plans, March 2007 (DOC - 230 KB)
AN48: Ministerial Direction No. 15 - the planning scheme amendment process (DOC - 71 KB)
AN25: New car parking provisions, June 2012 (DOC - 67 KB)
AN17: New exemptions for native vegetation removal in planning schemes, September 2008 (DOC - 522 KB)
AN08: New native vegetation provisions in planning schemes, March 2006 (DOC - 301 KB)
AN14: New planning provisions for Melbourne Airport, May 2007 (DOC - 94 KB)
AN41: New Subdivision (Procedures) Regulations 2011, October 2011 (DOC - 66KB)
AN02: New zones for rural Victoria, June 2004 (DOC - 78 KB)
AN38: Planning and Environment Amendment (Schools) Act 2012, February 2012 (DOC - 54KB)
AN01: Planning provisions for Melbourne's green wedges, November 2003 (DOC - 103 KB)
AN12: Protocol for fast tracking amendments, March 2007 (DOC - 100 KB)
AN11: Reducing amendment timeframes, February 2007 (DOC - 79 KB)
AN29: Regional Blueprint implementation - Amendment VC66, July 2010, AN29 (DOC - 48 KB)
AN49: Telecommunications facilities and services in subdivisions - Amendment VC81, February 2013 (DOC - 66 KB)
AN31: The revised State Planning Policy Framework - Amendment VC71, September 2010 AN31 (DOC - 51 KB)
AN27: The new State Planning Policy Framework, September 2010, AN27 (DOC - 106 KB)
AN28: Waste transfer and materials recycling facilities - Amendment VC69, August 2010, (DOC - 85 KB)
AN47: Wind energy facility provisions - changes to, Amendments VC82 and VC91, July 2012 (DOC - 71 KB)
AN35: Wind energy facility provisions - Clause 52.32 - Amendment VC78, March 2011 (DOC - 83 KB)