A Development Plan demonstrates future spatial layout of land. It shows where residential lots, roads, paths, open space, and infrastructure should be.
Some land in the shire is covered by a Development Plan Overlay. This land requires an approved Development Plan before we can issue a planning permit for subdivision or development. If the permit application aligns with the approved Plan, it is exempt from advertising requirements.
This means that potentially affected parties won’t be notified of the application. There are also no ‘third-party appeal’ rights (i.e. you cannot object, nor can you appeal a decision by Council).
We ensure that affected parties are notified earlier, during assessment of the Development Plan.
The process of assessing a Development Plan includes the following steps:
- Initial assessment of the Development Plan by Council’s Strategic Planning team. We do this against the requirements set out in the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme.
- We may then request further information.
- We will notify all land owners in the area early in the process. They can then register their interest or provide input into the development plan.
- Referral to internal teams and external authorities if relevant.
- We will determine if the Development Plan meets all the requirements of the Development Plan Overlay schedule.
- Public notification on Council’s website and through letters to affected owners and occupiers.
We believe in increasing community awareness of any impending development. That’s why we notify the community, even if we are not required to.
A Plan must meet the requirements of the Development Plan Overlay schedule. Once it does, and is approved, we will post it on Council’s website for a period of two weeks. We also send letters to adjoining and adjacent land owners.
We always consider comments from interested parties in the final Development Plan. We also keep these parties informed of the progress of the Plan.
Once the Plan is approved, any planning permit applications do not need to be advertised.