Request a pre-application meeting

Once you have confirmed that you need a planning permit, if you would like some advice or assistance with your application, you can request a free pre-application meeting.

Nillumbik Shire Council's Planning Services team can help you to:

  • understand what elements of your proposal are likely to accepted or not
  • improve the quality of information you provide with your planning application
  • save time during the assessment process
  • gain increased certainty about the likely outcome of an application.

Pre-application meetings are particularly helpful when your proposal:

  • is complex 
  • will involve multiple Council teams and referral authorities

This is a free service. 

Please note: a pre-application meeting is only for applicants who have already confirmed that their proposal requires a planning permit. If you are not sure if you need a planning permit, please read our advice and/or submit a planning information request.

How to apply

Apply online

Step 1.Do your research

Make sure you are familiar with all steps in the planning permit application process

Step 2.Register for Council’s online services

If you are not already registered to use Council’s online services, please register online.

Register for online services

Registrations are generally approved within one business day. You will only need to register once. You will then have access to lodge any future applications and other Council requests online.

Step 3.Prepare your information

To apply for a planning pre-application meeting you will need to provide:

  • a current copy of your Certificate of Title from Landata (searched within the last three months and including a copy of all relevant documents eg registered covenants and/or Section 173 agreements)
  • a site plan showing existing conditions and proposed building and/or structure, including setbacks
  • a floor and elevation plan of the proposed building and/or structure – these can be hand drawn or preliminary design plans.
  • a summary of what you are proposing on the property
  • any reports you may have already obtained such as arborist reports, bushfire management statements or assessments, traffic engineering assessments etc.

Based on the information you provide, we will be able to identify issues, concerns or opportunities to improve your application. The more information you give us the more comprehensive our response can be to your proposal and the easier it is to identify issues at an early stage.

Step 4.Submit your application 

If you have already completed your registration for Council’s online services, you can request a free planning pre-application meeting online.

Request a pre-application meeting

Disclaimer

Any information provided by Council at the pre-application stage is preliminary only. Council will make all reasonable effort to provide clear and accurate information, based on the information presented and the relevant provisions of the Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Please note this this Council information may be impacted by subsequent changes to the design, further information received, referral advice, site inspections, the public notification process and any other change of circumstance.

What happens next?

Council's Senior Planning and Business Advisor will take notes during the meeting. These notes are kept on Council's planning file for future reference should a planning permit application be lodged. A guidance document outlining the sections of the Nillumbik Planning Scheme your application will need to consider can also be sent to you.

If you have a pre-application meeting, it is important that you mention this in your permit application.

Find out more about preparing your planning permit application.