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Planning Schemes, Zones, Overlays – What Are They?

A Planning Scheme is a policy and legal document used to control land use and development. Every municipality has one.

By Bass Coast Shire Council - 30th August 2005 - Back to News

Our local scheme is known as the Bass Coast Planning Scheme.

The Planning Scheme is a collection of all requirements and controls that regulate how land can be used. It contains State and local planning policies, zones and overlays.

The Planning Scheme will indicate whether a planning permit is required to change the use of land or to construct a building or make other changes to the land.

What Information is in a Planning Scheme?
A Planning Scheme contains two types of information. It has a set of maps that show the zones and overlays that apply to land covered by the Scheme, and it has information that sets out the requirements of the policies, zones and overlays.

What are Planning Policies?
Planning policies are statements about how decisions will be made. They cover issues such as planning for growth, environmental consideration, neighbourhood character and matters of local and state significance.

Council must take planning policies into account when making a planning decision.

What is a zone?
Land across the Shire is categorised into zones. Each zone has its own particular use which may be residential, industrial, business or other.

The zones are listed in the Planning Scheme. Each zone has a purpose and a set of requirements. This information will describe if a planning permit is required as well as the matters which Council must consider before deciding to grant a planning permit.

The zone also contains information relating to land uses, subdivision of land, construction of new buildings and other changes to the land.

A zone sets out land use control in three sections:

1. Land uses that do not require a planning permit

2. Land uses that require a planning permit

3. Prohibited uses that are not allowed as they conflict with other uses; for example, industry is prohibited in a residential zone.

What is an overlay?
As well as zone requirements, a piece of land may also have an overlay that further regulates its use. Some land may be affected by more than one overlay.

If an overlay applies, it means the land will have some special feature such as a heritage building, significant vegetation or flood risk. It ensures that closer attention is paid to matters considered significant by the community.

For example, a Vegetation Protection Overlay may apply to an area that has trees which are significant to the surrounding natural environment. The Overlay would describe any special requirements that apply and means that a planning permit is required before trees in the are can be removed or pruned.

A copy of the Bass Coast Planning Scheme is available from any Bass Coast Shire Council office or on the Department of Sustainability and Environment's website at www.dse.vic.gov.au

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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