3. Request for further information

Council cannot assess a planning permit application if all the information is not provided.

After you have submitted your planning permit application, Council may request further information if your application is not complete. A request for further information may also explain any concerns that Council has with your application.

To avoid this request for further information, Council strongly recommends that you have a pre-application meeting with a Council planning officer. At a pre-application meeting you will find out what information you need to submit with your planning permit application.

Request for further information by Council

How Council requests further information

You will receive a letter from Council requesting the further information if your application is not complete. If you lodged your application online or provided an email address, you receive the letter by email.

The letter and email include a unique link for you to upload the further information required. You must be the registered user for the particular application to use this service.

If you are not the registered user, you need to provide the further information by post.

Council Planning team operates digitally and does not work with hard copy documents. When Council receives hard copy documents, Council must first scan all documents and plans before being able to review the submission.

How to request extra time to provide the further information

Generally you have 60 days from the date on the request for further information letter to provide the extra information to Council.

If you need more time to provide the extra information, you need to do so in writing before the due date stated in your further information letter. You need to include the reasons why you need more time and provide Council with a reasonable revised due date.

You can use the unique link in your letter and email to upload this information if you are the registered user for the application. Otherwise, you must provide this information by post.

Council will consider your request for more time and send you a letter with a revised due date. You can then use the same unique link to upload the further information.

If Council does not support your request, then you have 14 days to supply the information or you can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to review Council's decision.

Missing the due date for further information

If you do not provide Council with all the requested information or write to request more time before the deadline, your application is cancelled.

This means that you will have to submit a new planning permit application and pay the fee again.

External referral or notification

Council may be required to notify an external agency, or make a referral to an external person or body as part of the planning approval process.

Council, as the responsible authority, must decide to refuse to grant a permit if the relevent referral authority objects to the grant of the permit.

The Merri-bek Planning Scheme details the people or bodies who are mandatory referral authorities. Examples of referral authorities are VicRoads, Heritage Victoria, and Melbourne Water.

Changing your planning application

Some applicants change their application as a result of Council feedback or a request by Council for further information. Sometimes the situation changes and an applicant needs to alter their planning application.

You can apply to amend a planning application before a decision is made.

If your application has already been advertised as part of the planning process, a fee applies.

Apply online

Register with Council Online Services. 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 to amend a planning application. You need to sign in to Council Online Services to apply.
As part of the online application process, you upload digital files and pay the planning fee by Visa or MasterCard.

Apply to amend a planning application

Apply by post or in person

Complete the Request to Amend an Application for a Planning Permit form (DOC 74Kb).
Submit your application with all required documents and applicable planning fee by post to Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Merri-bek 3058 or in person to the Moreland Civic Centre.
Council's Planning team operates digitally and does not work with hard copy documents. When Council receives a hard copy planning application, Council must first scan all documents and plans before being able to process the application.
If an email address is provided, you will receive notification of the application number and officer's contact details by email. Otherwise, notification is sent by post.