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                    Ministerial planning applications

                    The Minister for Planning, not Melbourne City Council, is the Responsible Authority for some planning applications within the City of Melbourne municipality. This means that the Minister for Planning is responsible for assessing and making a decision on these applications.

                    Examples of planning applications that the Minister for Planning is the Responsible Authority for under the Melbourne Planning Scheme include:

                    • Developments with a gross floor area exceeding 25,000 square metres.
                    • Development and use of land for or on behalf of a Minister of the Crown.
                    • Development and use of land at a number of specific sites, including the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, Flemington Racecourse and the Melbourne Casino.

                    The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning maintains a registe​r of Ministerial planning applications on their website.

                    City of Melbourne’s role in ministerial planning applications

                    The Minister for Planning will generally seek comments from Melbourne City Council when assessing a planning application within the City of Melbourne municipality. In specific circumstances, Melbourne City Council is a Referral Authority for the application, and the Minister for Planning must formally refer the planning application to Council.

                    The City of Melbourne’s Ministerial planning permit register records instances where comments have been sought from Melbourne City Council for a ministerial planning application, or where a ministerial planning application has been formally referred to Council.

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