Planning Scheme Review
Reviewing planning schemes to identify what is working, what has fallen behind, and what needs to change. Our work gives councils a clear, implementable program for continuous improvement.
A planning scheme is a living document. Legislation changes, state policy is reformed, Council Plans are renewed and local circumstances shift. What was current four years ago may no longer reflect the strategic direction of the municipality or the requirements of the Victoria Planning Provisions. A planning scheme review (PSR) is the mechanism for taking stock: identifying provisions that are working well and those that are outdated, inconsistent or need to be strengthened.
Section 12B of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires councils to review their planning scheme every four years and within a year of adopting a new Council Plan. Done well, a review is more than a compliance exercise. It is an opportunity to improve the scheme’s clarity and effectiveness and set a realistic program of future improvements.
What we do
We have prepared planning scheme reviews for councils across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, ranging from targeted health checks to comprehensive reviews that reshape the policy framework of a scheme. Our portfolio includes reviews for Hepburn, Murrindindi, Colac Otway, Northern Grampians, Mount Alexander, Mildura, Latrobe, South Gippsland, Wodonga, Golden Plains, Wellington and Greater Shepparton.
Our process is structured around DTP’s Good Practice Guide to Planning Scheme Reviews and PPN32, adapted to the specific context and complexity of each council’s scheme. We work through four stages:
- inception and scoping, including a review of adopted strategies, previous PSR work, planning application data, VCAT decisions and Panel reports
- forensic analysis of the existing scheme against the Ministerial Direction on the Form and Content of Planning Schemes, current PPNs, and state and regional policy
- structured stakeholder engagement with statutory and strategic planners, internal departments, state agencies, utility and service providers, Registered Aboriginal Parties and Councillors
- preparation of the PSR report, including findings, prioritised recommendations and track-change ordinance for a future amendment
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Why Plan2Place Consulting
Planning scheme reviews require a precise understanding of how the VPP is constructed and how it has evolved. It requires knowing what the provisions say today, why they were written the way they were and where the current reform agenda is heading. That context matters when you are assessing whether a local policy is genuinely adding value or simply duplicating state provisions that have since overtaken it.
Paul Buxton spent 12 years in senior roles in the Victorian Government’s planning system, including leading the reforms that produced the residential zones, the Activity Centre Zone and the Smart Planning Program. He understands the architecture of the VPP from the inside. Kellie Marks brings more than 25 years of experience across state government, local government and consulting, with deep expertise in translating the findings of a review into provisions that hold up in practice. Stuart Grigg’s background includes drafting state-wide planning scheme content within the Victorian Government and working on the policy reforms now shaping what councils are being asked to implement.
That combination means we can assess a planning scheme with genuine depth and produce recommendations that are practical and ready to implement, picking up issues a less experienced reviewer might miss.