A development goes up near you. A notice appears on a fence. You have a limited window to object — and almost everyone spends it writing the wrong document.
I've watched a lot of community campaigns against planning applications. The ones that work are not the ones with the most signatures or the angriest public meeting. They're the ones where someone worked out what the decision-maker is legally allowed to consider, and then wrote about that.
01 / The core principleCouncil can only decide on planning grounds.
A council assessing a planning permit application is not deciding whether the development is popular. It is deciding whether the proposal accords with the planning scheme — the zones, overlays, policies and particular provisions that apply to that piece of land.
That means an objection saying "we don't want this here" carries almost no weight, while an objection saying "this proposal does not meet the setback and overshadowing requirements of the applicable provisions, for these reasons" is something the council has to formally respond to.
Figure 01 · Grounds
What counts, and what doesn't.
Grounds that carry weight
Overshadowing, overlooking, building height and bulk, setbacks, traffic generation, car parking supply, vegetation removal, heritage impact, drainage and flooding, noise and hours of operation, waste management, neighbourhood character, and inconsistency with the zone or an overlay.
Grounds that generally don't
Loss of a private view, effect on your property value, dislike of the applicant, competition with an existing business, who the future occupants might be, and the fact that a lot of people are opposed.
This surprises and frustrates people, understandably. But it's the framework the decision must be made within — and a decision made on invalid grounds is one that gets overturned on review.
02 / Before you writeRead the actual application.
You are entitled to inspect the application. Do it. The plans, the applicant's planning report, the traffic assessment if there is one. Objecting to what you assume is being proposed is the fastest way to write something that gets dismissed as based on a misunderstanding.
Figure 02 · Preparation
Four things to establish first.
What zone is it?
Residential, commercial, industrial, farming — the zone sets what's permitted, what needs a permit and what's prohibited.
What overlays apply?
Heritage, bushfire, flood, vegetation protection, design and development. Overlays add requirements and often add the strongest grounds.
What's actually proposed?
Read the plans and the applicant's own report. Note dimensions, setbacks, heights, parking numbers and hours.
When does notice close?
There is a defined period for submissions. Late objections may still be considered but you lose certainty — and possibly your review rights.
03 / The structureHow to write it.
Figure 03 · Anatomy of a strong objection
Six parts, in this order.
Length is not strength. Three tight, evidenced grounds beat fifteen pages of general concern every single time.
An objection that proposes a workable condition is a hundred times more useful than one that only says no. Planners are looking for a way to resolve the application — give them one. — David Greenwood OAM
04 / Working togetherMany voices, one document.
Where neighbours are all affected, the usual instinct is a petition. Petitions are weak in planning terms — they demonstrate volume of feeling, which isn't a planning ground.
Far stronger: each affected household lodges its own individual objection, each describing its own specific impact, all raising a consistent set of grounds. Ten individually-affected submissions on consistent grounds is a much heavier document set than one petition with two hundred names.
05 / After you lodgeWhat happens next.
Figure 04 · The process
Where your objection actually goes.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Council planners assess the application against the scheme, taking objections into account. They may negotiate amendments with the applicant. |
| Mediation or consultation | Council may convene a meeting between applicant and objectors to try to resolve issues. Attend if offered — it's often where real change happens. |
| Decision | Either delegated to officers or determined at a council meeting. Significant or heavily-objected applications are more likely to go to councillors. |
| Notice of decision | Objectors are notified. If a permit is to be granted, there is a period in which objectors may seek review. |
| VCAT review | The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal can review the decision. It is a fresh hearing on planning merits — and objectors who lodged a submission generally have standing. |
Important: if you did not lodge an objection during the notice period, your ability to seek review at VCAT may be limited. Lodging, even briefly, preserves your position.
06 / Your councillor's roleWhat we can and can't do.
Be clear-eyed about this. A councillor can help you understand the process, make sure you know when submissions close, and ensure your objection is properly before the decision-maker. Where the decision goes to a council meeting, councillors vote on it.
What a councillor cannot properly do is promise an outcome. Planning decisions have to be made on planning grounds after hearing the application, and a councillor who has pre-committed to a vote has arguably disqualified themselves from making it. Anyone who guarantees you a refusal before the assessment is done is either misunderstanding their role or misleading you.
If there's an application near you in the You Yangs Ward and you're not sure where to start — what the zone is, what the overlays mean, whether your concern is a valid planning ground — send me the application number and I'll help you work out what's actually arguable. Email david@centrestage.org.au with "Planning" in the subject.