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Planning permit timeframes vary based on the proposal, the planning controls and the assessment process.
Most planning permits take at least three months to be issued by a council. They commonly take four to six months. The average time it takes a council to make a decision is included in the Planning Permit Activity Reporting System (PPARS) by the State government.
In 2024, the average time to decision across all councils is approximately 155 calendar days for regular applications, and 29 days for a VicSmart planning application.
Planning permits can be tediously simple, or onerously detailed.
Some planning applications require a great deal of supporting information, others relatively little. Some planning applications require referrals to other government departments, some require advertising and some are eligible for fast-tracking via VicSmart or council specific pathways.
Find out more about the planning permit application process and why it can take so long.
The fastest way to get a permit is to first understand what the permit triggers are (why you need a planning permit) and what is required to support the application (the application requirements). Alternatively, you may need a confirmation of planning permit exemptions.
Some planning applications are eligible to be fast-tracked. This is based on the specifics of the planning scheme and the proposal.
There are two types of planning permit applications that may be “fast-tracked”. These are primarily handled by every council through VicSmart, but a few councils offer specific fast-track services. VSPPAS or councils will assess eligibility for applications that can be fast-tracked.
If you want written advice from a Town Planning Consultant regarding whether a proposal needs a planning permit or is exempt, or, if you need a permit, what the planning application requirements are, then you are ready to start using Victorian Smart Planning – Permit Application Services:
It’s the simplest way to get a planning permit.