The Melbourne Planning Scheme controls land use and development within the City of Melbourne. It contains planning policy, zones and overlays and other provisions that affect how land can be used and developed.
The planning scheme determines if a planning permit is required to change the use of land or to construct a building or make other changes to the land. It also specifies relevant assessment criteria when a planning permit is required.
In most instances, buildings and works in the municipality, whether residential or business, must be approved by the City of Melbourne through the planning permit application process.
See Melbourne Planning SchemeOpens in new tab on the Department of Transport and Planning website for more details.
What planning scheme controls apply to my property?
Every property has a set of planning controls that specify when a planning permit is required. Different controls apply to different properties, so it is important to find out which controls affect your property before embarking on the planning permit application process.
In writing
- You can make a planning property enquiry to seek written advice from the Planning Team on whether a planning permit is required for a particular use or development or to seek details of the planning permit history of a particular property. Visit Property enquiries for more information.
Online:
- Visit the Department of Transport and Planning website to access planning maps online and free planning property reports.
- You can also purchase a Planning CertificateOpens in new tab from the Department of Transport and Planning.
In person:
- View planning scheme maps in person between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday at the Melbourne Town Hall Administration Building, 120 Swanston Street Melbourne.
- You can also request a pre-application appointment with a planning officer by emailing planning@melbourne.vic.gov.au.
The Capital City Zone applies to the area commonly referred to as the central city or central business district (CBD). The Capital City Zone works differently to other zones, as there are many more types of businesses and activities which don’t require a planning permit.
The Capital City Zone covers the whole CBD grid and also includes the Queen Victoria Markets, ‘City North’ and parts of Southbank. For clarification as to whether your site is within the Capital City Zone please visit Melbourne Planning SchemeOpens in new tab.
The Capital City Zone also provides specific guidance on signage in the Central City. In the Capital City Zone a retail premises, cafe, restaurant or shop can erect some types of signs without a planning permit, provided the premises is not located within a Heritage Overlay.
In a Heritage Overlay all signs require a planning permit, even if it is just the content being changed.
In the Capital City Zone the following common types of signs don’t require a planning permit:
- An under-verandah business sign, if it:
- does not exceed 2.5 m measured horizontally, 0.5 m vertically and 0.3 m between the faces of the sign
- is located between 2.7 m and 3.5 m above ground level and is perpendicular to the building facade
- does not contain any animation or intermittent lighting.
2. A ground floor business sign cantilevered from a building, if it:
- does not exceed 0.84 m measured horizontally, 0.61 m vertically and 0.3 m between the faces of the sign
- is located between 2.7 m and 3.5 m above ground level and perpendicular to the building façade
- does not contain any animation or intermittent lighting.
3. A non-illuminated sign on a verandah fascia, provided no part of the sign protrudes above or below the fascia.
4. Renewal or replacement of an existing internally illuminated business identification sign.
Most other signs require a planning permit including any sign affixed to the shopfront, such as bulkhead signage above a display window or entrance.
In the Capital City Zone a planning permit is required to construct a building, alter a building facade or construct or carry out works. This means that all external works require planning approval.
Some works are required to be to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority and undergo a simpler assessment process.
It is worth keeping in mind that other controls (such as the Design and Development Overlay, Heritage Overlay, Special Building Overlay) within the Melbourne Planning Scheme may still require a planning permit for simple matters.
Shrine Vista Controls
When a planning application is received that may be impacted by Shrine Vista Controls, the City of Melbourne will require a report assessing the proposed development for compliance with the controls. For further information, visit Vista Controls Planning StudyOpens in new tab.
In the Melbourne Planning Scheme businesses and activities which don’t require a planning permit are commonly referred to as Section 1 uses. These include:
- a dwelling or apartment
- an education centre
- an office
- a shop and some forms of retail
- a food and drink premises, such as a restaurant.
However, there are uses that do require a planning permit before commencement within the Capital City Zone, these are referred to as Section 2 uses. Section 2 uses have potential amenity impacts on surrounding sites that need to be assessed. These include:
- a tavern or bar
- a nightclub
- a supermarket
- a car park
- a department store
- a hotel.
To see whether a use requires a planning permit, please contact us or check the following clauses of the Melbourne Planning SchemeOpens in new tab:
Before lodging an application, you can submit a Planning pre-application advice request form so that a planning officer can consider your proposal and provide you with expert advice before you apply.
Planning permit FAQs
The erection and display of many types of signs will often require planning approval.
The most common sign type is business identification signage. Business identification signage is defined as a sign that provides business identification information about a business or industry on the land where it is displayed. The information may include the name of the business or building, the street number of the business premises, the nature of the business, a business logo or other business identification information.
If your sign does not match the above description, it may fit into another category where different requirements may apply.
The planning controls relating to signage vary between zones depending on the sensitivity and amenity of the area.
For example, in a Commercial 1 Zone, a business can erect up to 8 m2 of business identification signage without requiring a planning permit whilst in a more sensitive area, such as a Residential Zone, stricter limitations apply in regards to the amount of signage able to be erected without requiring a planning permit.
In an area subject to a Heritage Overlay, a planning permit is required to display a sign, this applies to all types of signage including updating or changing the content of a sign.
The Capital City Zone provides specific guidance on signage in the Central City. In the Capital City Zone a retail premises, cafe, restaurant or shop can erect some types of signs without a planning permit, provided the premises is not located within a Heritage Overlay.
Signage requirements and policies are found at Clause 15.01-1L-02 and Clause 52.05 of the Melbourne Planning Scheme.
If you are unsure whether a planning permit is required for the signage you are proposing, please contact us.
Usually you do not need a planning permit to install a domestic water tank in your backyard at home.
However, you do need a planning permit if:
- the water tank is more than 4500 litres
- the property is covered by a Heritage Overlay and you can see the water tank from the street or a public park.
A planning permit is required to paint the outside of a building if the site is located within a Heritage Overlay and:
- it is identified as a property where external paint controls apply (the schedule to the overlay identifies whether or not paint controls are applicable)
- the proposed painting will change the appearance of the building in anyway (such as a change of colour).
A planning permit is not required for re-painting a building exactly the same colour, as this is considered to be routine repairs and general maintenance.
If you are unsure if you need a planning permit for painting please contact the Planning Team on 03 9658 9658.
If painting is just one component of other changes you propose to your building, it is highly likely that the other changes will require planning approval. If so, please contact the City of Melbourne to determine whether a planning permit is required.
Fences are normally exempt from requiring planning permits under the provisions of the Melbourne Planning Scheme unless specifically required.
Circumstances where a planning permit may be required to construct or alter a fence include:
- any fence (including back and side fences) on a property that is located within the following overlays:
- Heritage Overlay (HO)
- Special Building Overlay (SBO)
- Land Subject to Induction Overlay (LSIO)
- a front fence in a Residential or Mixed Use Zone that is located with 3 metres of a street, if it is associated with:
- one dwelling on a lot of less than 300 square metres, and the fence exceeds the maximum height specified in Clause 54.06-2 of the Melbourne Planning Scheme
- two or more dwellings on a lot or a residential building, and the fence exceeds the maximum height specified in Clause 55.06-2 of the Melbourne Planning Scheme
The City of Melbourne has compiled a checklist of information that should to be submitted with a planning permit application to alter or construct a fence.
If you are unsure if you need a planning permit to erect or alter a fence, please contact us.
A crossover or vehicle crossing is the area between the road and the driveway on your property.
Since a crossover is on public land, you need a permit from the City of Melbourne's Engineering Department for a new crossover or to alter an existing crossover. See Constructing, modifying or removing a vehicle crossing for more information. Please note, this permit is not the same as a planning permit.
You need a planning permit in addition to a vehicle crossing permit for a new crossover if the land is:
- in a Heritage Overlay
- next to a Road Zone
New crossovers may not be supported in Heritage Overlay areas where vehicle crossover and parking at the front of houses is not part of the character of that street or area. New crossovers may also not be supported within the Central City where Schedule 1 the Design and Development Overlay applies to land.
Many types of business can be run from your home if they do not disturb the surrounding neighbours. It depends on the zone of your property and the nature and size of the business proposed.
The Melbourne Planning Scheme calls running a business from home a ‘home based business’. A ‘home based business’ is defined as an occupation carried out in a dwelling, or on the land around the dwelling by a resident of the dwelling.
You do not need a planning permit for a ‘home based business’ in a Residential Zone provided certain requirements are met. These requirements are listed in Clause 52.11 of the Melbourne Planning Scheme.
Certain types of business cannot be run from home, including businesses involving the service and repair of motor vehicles on the site.
If you are unsure if you need a planning permit for a home based business, please contact us.
*Before you commence running a business from home, it is recommended you check the City of Melbourne's environmental health laws and local laws for other permits you may need.
Planning scheme rules about running a business from home are the same for a rental home or rental unit and for a property occupied by the owner. If the property is rented, you should check if the terms of the lease or the owners corporation rules allow business uses.
A waste management plan may be required when more than one dwelling or business is proposed as part of a development, regardless of whether bins will be shared or individually used. A waste management plan is not required if your planning application is for an individual dwelling. A planning officer is able to advise when one may be required.
Waste management plans are required to effectively manage the waste and recycling needs of developments and are an important part of the development approval process. They aim to ensure that waste storage spaces, collection frequencies and collection locations are adequate for the development proposed.
See Waste and recycling for more information.
