In 2023-24 Plan2Place Consulting undertook planning review support of the Colac Otway, Mount Alexander, Murrindindi and Northern Grampians Planning Schemes for the Department of Planning and Transport. Several projects also involved partnering with Wayfarer Consulting for stakeholder engagement, particularly with the Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP).
Planning schemes should be reviewed every four years to ensure that they:
- Are consistent in form and content with Ministerial directions and guidelines
- Effectively set out the policy objectives for use and development of land in the area to which the planning scheme applies
- Make effective use of State and local provisions to give effect to State and local planning policy objectives.
Consistent with Section 12B of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, Planning Practice Note 32 and the recently developed Good Practice Guide to Planning Scheme Reviews, we worked with Councils to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing planning schemes and whether they were fit for purpose.
Work undertaken included:
- Background analysis of existing documentation, recently adopted strategies and the planning scheme
- Surveys and engagement with Council‘s strategic and statutory planning teams, other internal Council teams, local RAP representatives, relevant referral authorities and agencies, and other relevant interested parties
- Compilation and assessment of planning scheme audit information related to planning permit applications and approvals, planning scheme amendments, benchmarking across similar municipalities, VCAT decisions, Panel reports and other data
- Preparation of review templates that enable Council to monitor and evaluation planning scheme performance
- Preparation of a Planning Scheme Review Report outlining all findings from the planning scheme audit and review
- Preparation of marked up changes to the planning scheme ordinance and mapping resulting from the review.
