You can find out what local council planning scheme applies to a site, what zone, overlay and schedules apply, as well as the lot and plan number via the State Government website or by contacting the council if you know which council.
The State government provide the VicPlan Planning Reports which are free and can be obtained instantly. All planners use VicPlan to determine what planning controls apply to the land, and whether a permit is required or not for a proposal. The report also confirms who the relevant council is.
To get the free VicPlan Planning Report:
The VicPlan Property Report contains links to the zone, overlay and schedules that apply to the land. To understand what planning controls apply, it helps if you are familiar with the planning scheme, have the council do it for you, or use Victorian Smart Planning – Permit Application Services.
You can view an example of a VicPlan Property Report.
An online maps interface for VicPlan is also available, and is useful for drilling down, say, to see more accurate boundaries for some planning information such as Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity.