Wastewater treatment facilities provide critical community infrastructure, but like many other industrial and infrastructure uses, have the potential to cause adverse amenity impacts if located near sensitive uses, such as dwellings, aged care facilities, child care centres and schools.

August was a busy month for the Tribunal with 85 reported decisions in the Planning and Environment List. Major promotional signs seemed to be the flavour of the month with several decisions relating to such applications in both metropolitan and rural settings. Two decisions of interest arising last month were:

There were 67 reported decisions of the Tribunal in the Planning and Environment List last month with there appearing to be a larger than usual number of matters involving questions of law or ‘rural’ applications. Three decisions of interest arising last month were:

There were 70 published decisions of the Tribunal from the Planning and Environment List in the month of June, including two Red Dot decisions; Myers v Southern Grampians SC (Red Dot) [2022] VCAT 695, which concerned the Tribunal’s jurisdiction/ extent of consideration in an objector appeal when some planning permit triggers ‘switched off’ third party appeal rights, and Dahlenburg v Hindmarsh SC (Red Dot) [2022] VCAT 669, which concerned the expiry of amended use and development permits.

Councils have 60 statutory days to decide on planning permit applications. But what are statutory days? What happens when the time is up? How do we know when 60 days has passed?

There were 76 published decisions of the Tribunal from the Planning and Environment List in the month of May, including one related to the redevelopment of Northcote Plaza which The Age reported on with a headline of “Fury in Northcote over ‘bare minimum’ of social housing for rebuilt plaza”.

As a homeowner or a renter you might find yourself involved in a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) review. The Planning and Environment Act 1987 (the ACT) gives you the ability to review a town planning application to VCAT in certain circumstances.

There were 42 published decisions of the Tribunal from the Planning and Environment List in the month of April, including the Red Dot decision of

Our planet is facing an environmental crisis that many view  as  an  existential  risk  to  humanity. The scientific consensus is that this threat is entirely of our own making but that actions to reverse anthropogenic climate change are still within our grasp.

Do you need to amend your permit or endorsed plans? Permits and endorsed plans can be amended via secondary consent or via a section 72 Amendment but which process is right for your application?