Consent to demolish
When you need to get Council's consent to demolish
You must apply and get Council’s consent to do demolition work when:
- the building will be completely demolished
- more than half of the floor area of the building will be demolished, or
- part or all of the facade of the building will be demolished.
Some demolition work also needs a planning permit from Council as well as a building permit.
Council will refuse your application for a consent to demolish if the demolition needs a planning permit and you don’t have a planning permit. If you require a planning permit, apply for a planning permit from Council first. See planning permits for further details.
After applying for consent to demolish from Council, you need to get a building permit for the demolition work unless it is a building work that is exempt.
Fee
See building fees for the consent to demolish fee.
How to apply for consent to demolish
What you need
- A clear written description of the proposal, specifically identifying what is to be demolished. If part demolition is proposed please be clear about what part is being demolished.
- Three copies of the site plans. These plans must show the extent of the proposed demolition work and include dimensions to the front, rear and side boundaries of the site. These plans should also indicate any demolition work that has taken place on the site in the past 3 years.
- If you were required to obtain a planning permit for the proposed demolition, include a full copy of the planning permit and endorsed plans. The plans should clearly indicate the extent of proposed demolition works including dimensions to the front, rear and side boundaries of the site.
- A recent photograph of the building facade facing the street, if available, as this will assist Council.
Apply online
- Apply for consent to demolish through Council Online Services.
- As part of the online application process, the fee is paid online by Visa or MasterCard.
You can register as a user and sign in to Council Online Services before you apply. As a registered user, you don't need to re-enter your personal information and can keep track of requests and applications on any device.
Apply by post or in person
- Complete the Consent to Demolish application form (DOC 50Kb).
- Atttach any relevant information, such as the description of the proposal and site plan copies, to your application with the consent to demolish fee.
- Post the application and fee to Building Services, Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Merri-bek 3058, or deliver in person to the Merri-bek Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg.
What happens after you apply
Once your application has been received, the application will then be processed by Council.
After applying for consent to demolish from Council, you need to get a building permit for the demolition work unless it is a building work that is exempt.