Victorian Government changes to planning
The Victorian Government has introduced major changes to the planning system as part of the implementation of their Housing Statement, including a new Plan for Victoria.
Plan for Victoria
Plan for Victoria was released in early 2025 and replaces the former metropolitan strategy Plan Melbourne 2017-2050.
Through Plan for Victoria, the Victorian Government aims to provide guidance around how we create more homes near transport, job opportunities and essential services in vibrant, liveable and sustainable suburbs, towns and regions.
It does this through 5 pillars:
- Housing for all Victorians
- Accessible jobs and services
- Great places
- Sustainable environments
- Self-determination and caring for Country
What this means for Monash
As an established area with strong connections to transport and jobs, Monash’s suburbs will change and grow to accommodate more people over the coming decades.
Council continues to advocate to the Victorian State Government on behalf of our community for our suburbs to retain what it is about them that make is special, and for community infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population.
Municipal housing targets
Housing targets apply to all local government areas in Victoria with the goal of over 2 million additional dwellings by 2051, with 70% of these to be built in established suburbs.
The Victorian Government’s housing target for the City of Monash is an additional 69,500 dwellings by 2051. There are currently approximately 78,300 dwellings in Monash.
As part of the implementation of the housing targets, the Victorian Government will review local planning schemes to ensure that it can deliver its allocated housing target.
Changes to multi-dwelling residential design standards
On 6 March 2025, the State government announced the new Townhouse and Low-Rise Code (the Code). The Code came into effect in all Planning Schemes on 31 March 2025.
Residential developments of 2 or more dwellings on a lot and low-rise apartments up to 3-storeys in height are now assessed under the State Governments Code.
What does the new Code do?
The new Code:
- Reduces many previous design and development standards
- Make the new design standards “deemed to comply”
- Removes any Council standards that were higher (more onerous) than the new Code design standards
Deemed to comply standards
“Deemed to comply” means that if a development design meets the standards of the new Code, a permit must be issued by Council.
If the development meets the new standard, Council cannot require changes to design in response to issues such as tree removal, setbacks, car parking, overlooking and building bulk or objections from neighbours.
For example, if a development is proposed to be setback 6m from the front boundary, but neighbouring houses are set back further, Council cannot require the setback to match the neighbours. You can see more information on the Townhouse and Low-Rise Code and the new standards on the Department of Transport and Planning website.
Advertising to neighbours
Although the State Government has introduced the deemed to comply standards, Council is still required to give notification of development applications to neighbouring residents.
It is important to note that, although residents can object to the proposed development, if the development application complies with the standards of the Code, Council must issue the permit.
Residents cannot appeal the issue of the permit to VCAT.
Development not meeting the standards
If a development design does not meet one or more of the standards Council is required to assess the parts that do not meet the standards and may issue a Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit.
Where a development has not met one or more of the standards, any objector to the development can appeal the Council decision by applying to the Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Objections and appeals to VCAT are restricted to issues that relate directly to the specific standard or standards that have not been met.
What were some of the changes made in the new Code?
Prior to the changes introduced by the State Government in March, the Monash Planning scheme had some specific design and development standards that better reflected the garden character of our neighbourhoods.
The changes introduced by the State Governments new Code has reduced many of these standards, effectively removing them.
Additionally, neighbourhood character is no longer a starting point when designing a new development.
Some of the Monash residential development standards reduced were:
- Reduction of the front setback from 7.6 metres to 6 metres
- Reduction of the rear setback from 5 metres to 1 metre in the General Residential Zone
- Reduction of the rear setback along creek areas from 7 metres to 1 metre in the Neighbourhood Residential Zone
- Removing the minimum requirement for the planting of canopy trees and replacing with a 10% site coverage requirement
- Reduction in the private open space for each dwelling unit from 75m2 down to 25m2
More information on the changes
The Victorian Government have released documents to assist in the understanding and application of the new standards.