Planning and Environment Act 1987

S. 3(1) amended by No. 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1) (ILA s. 39B(1)).

S. 3(1) def. of Administrative Appeals Tribunal repealed by No. 52/1998 s. 183(a).

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S. 3(1) def. of affordable housing inserted by No. 47/2017 s. 3.

affordable housing has the meaning given by section 3AA;

amendment includes addition, deletion or substitution;

S. 3(1) def. of approved development contributions plan inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

approved development contributions plan—see section 46H;

S. 3(1) def. of approved Great Ocean Road strategic framework plan inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

approved Great Ocean Road strategic framework plan has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of approved infrastructure contributions plan inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

approved infrastructure contributions plan—see section 46GA;

area includes two or more areas of land that are not adjoining;

S. 3(1) def. of audio link inserted by No. 12/2021 s. 46.

audio link has the same meaning as in section 42C of the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958;

S. 3(1) def. of audio visual link inserted by No. 12/2021 s. 46.

audio visual link has the same meaning as in section 42C of the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958;

building includes—

S. 3(1) def. of building permit inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

building permit has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Building Act 1993;

S. 3(1) def. of building work inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

building work has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Building Act 1993;

S. 3(1) def. of business day inserted by No. 3/2013 s. 75(1).

business day means a day other than—

S. 3(1) def. of collecting agency inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

collecting agency—see section 46GA;

S. 3(1) def. of Commis-sioner inserted by No. 40/2014 s. 30.

Commissioner means the Commissioner of State Revenue referred to in section 62 of the Taxation Administration Act 1997;

S. 3(1) def. of committee of management inserted by No. 86/1989 s. 4(1)(a).

committee of management means a committee of management of Crown lands appointed under an Act;

conservation includes preservation, maintenance, sustainable use, and restoration of the natural and cultural environment;

construct includes reconstruct or make structural changes;

S. 3(1) def. of consumer price index inserted by No. 40/2014 s. 30.

consumer price index means the all groups consumer price index for Melbourne in original terms published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics;

S. 3(1) def. of Crown land inserted by No. 86/1989 s. 4(1)(b).

Crown land means land which is or is deemed to be unalienated land of the Crown and includes—

S. 3(1) def. of declared area inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

declared area means an area to which an order under section 46AO applies;

S. 3(1) def. of declared area framework plan inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

declared area framework plan means a plan described in section 46AV(2);

S. 3(1) def. of declared area planning scheme inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

declared area planning scheme means a planning scheme applying to land that is wholly or partially within a declared area;

S. 3(1) def. of Department inserted by No. 35/1995 s. 11(1)(a), amended by No. 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1), substituted by No. 47/2007 s. 3(1), amended by Nos 70/2013 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 36.1), 49/2017 s. 61(1), 25/2025 s. 106(Sch. 1 item 32.1).

Department means the Department of Transport and Planning;

S. 3(1) def. of Department Head inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3).

Department Head has the same meaning as in the Public Administration Act 2004;

S. 3(1) def. of determining referral authority inserted by No. 3/2013 s. 14.

determining referral authority means, in relation to an application for a permit or an amendment to a permit, a person or body that a planning scheme specifies as a determining referral authority for applications of that kind;

S. 3(1) def. of development amended by No. 53/1988 s. 45(Sch. 2 item 29) (as amended by No. 47/1989 s. 19(w)(i)(ii)).

development includes—

S. 3(1) def. of development agency inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

development agency—see section 46GA;

S. 3(1) def. of emissions reductions target inserted by No. 9/2024 s. 15.

emissions reductions target means—

S. 3(1) def. of exempt VPP amendment inserted by No. 3/2026 s. 7(1).

exempt VPP amendment means an amendment to the Victoria Planning Provisions that is determined under section 4K(3) to be an exempt VPP amendment;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road coast and parks inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road coast and parks has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road coast and parks protection principles inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road coast and parks protection principles has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road region inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road region has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road scenic landscapes area inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road scenic landscapes area has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road scenic landscapes area planning scheme inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road scenic landscapes area planning scheme means a planning scheme applying to land that is wholly or partially within the Great Ocean Road scenic landscapes area;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road settlement boundary inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road settlement boundary has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road settlement boundary amendment inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road settlement boundary amendment means an amendment under this Act that alters a Great Ocean Road settlement boundary in a planning scheme;

S. 3(1) def. of Great Ocean Road strategic framework plan inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

Great Ocean Road strategic framework plan has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of Greater Yarra Urban Parklands inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3).

Greater Yarra Urban Parklands has the same meaning as in the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017;

S.  3(1) def. of green wedge management plan inserted by No. 1/2023 s. 35.

green wedge management plan means a plan prepared under section 46AE(1);

S. 3(1) def. of growth area inserted by No. 33/2006 s. 4, amended by No. 11/2017 s. 55(b).

growth area means an area of land for the time being declared under section 201RAA;

S. 3(1) def. of Growth Areas Authority inserted by No. 33/2006 s. 4, repealed by No. 11/2017 s. 55(c).

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S. 3(1) def. of Head, Transport for Victoria inserted by No. 3/2017 s. 50(Sch. 1 item 4.1).

Head, Transport for Victoria has the same meaning as it has in section 3 of the Transport Integration Act 2010;

S. 3(1) def. of heritage building inserted by No. 12/2021 s. 3.

heritage building means a building which is a place, or forms part of a place, that has been given heritage protection under a planning scheme;

S. 3(1) def. of ICP plan area inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

ICP plan area—see section 46GA;

S. 3(1) def. of infrastructure contributions plan inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

infrastructure contributions plan—see section 46GG;

S. 3(1) def. of inner public purpose land inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

inner public purpose land—see section 46GA;

land includes—

S. 3(1) def. of land credit amount inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

land credit amount—see section 46GA;

S. 3(1) def. of land equalisation amount inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

land equalisation amount—see section 46GF;

S. 3(1) def. of leviable planning permit application inserted by No. 40/2014 s. 30.

leviable planning permit application has the meaning given in section 96P;

S. 3(1) def. of levy certificate inserted by No. 40/2014 s. 30.

levy certificate means—

S. 3(1) def. of levy exemption certificate inserted by No. 6/2025 s. 144.

levy exemption certificate means a certificate granted under section 96UB;

S. 3(1) def. of low‑impact amendment inserted by No. 6/2025 s. 118.

low‑impact amendment means an amendment to a planning scheme referred to in section 16N(1);

S. 3(1) def. of metropolitan Melbourne inserted by No. 40/2014 s. 30.

metropolitan Melbourne means the aggregate area consisting of—

S. 3(1) def. of municipal council repealed by No. 12/1989 s. 4(1)(Sch. 2 item 90.1).

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S. 3(1) def. of occupier inserted by No. 86/1989 s. 4(1)(c).

occupier includes a committee of management of Crown land;

S. 3(1) def. of owner substituted by No. 86/1989 s. 4(1)(d), amended by Nos 85/1998 s. 24(Sch. item 45.1(a) (b)), 4/2013 s. 30.

owner—

S. 3(1) def. of permit inserted by No. 3/2013 s. 69.

permit includes any plans, drawings or other documents approved under a permit;

S. 3(1) def. of personal information inserted by No. 12/2021 s. 13.

personal information has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014;

S. 3(1) def. of Planning Application Committee inserted by No. 3/2013 s. 8.

Planning Application Committee means the Planning Application Committee established under Part 4AA;

S. 3(1) def. of police officer inserted by No. 37/2014 s. 10(Sch. item 124.1).

police officer has the same meaning as in the Victoria Police Act 2013;

S. 3(1) def. of Port of Melbourne Area inserted by No. 77/2003 s. 3(1), amended by No. 53/2017 s. 88(1).

Port of Melbourne Area means—

but excludes any area excluded from the Port of Melbourne Area under subsection (3);

S. 3(1) def. of precinct structure plan inserted by No. 35/2015 s. 3.

precinct structure plan in relation to land means a precinct structure plan which has been incorporated by the planning scheme applying to that land;

S. 3(1) def. of principal registrar inserted by No. 52/1998 s. 183(b).

principal registrar means principal registrar of the Tribunal;

S. 3(1) def. of protected settlement boundary inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

protected settlement boundary means a settlement boundary in a declared area that is protected under a Statement of Planning Policy;

S. 3(1) def. of protected settlement boundary amendment inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

protected settlement boundary amendment means an amendment that alters a protected settlement boundary in a planning scheme;

public authority means a body established for a public purpose by or under any Act but does not include a municipal council;

S. 3(1) def. of public availability requirements inserted by No. 12/2021 s. 13.

public availability requirements—see section 197A;

S. 3(1) def. of public entity inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

public entity has the same meaning as in the Public Administration Act 2004;

public purpose includes any purpose for which land may be compulsorily acquired under any Act to which the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 applies;

S. 3(1) def. of recommend-ing referral authority inserted by No. 3/2013 s. 14.

recommending referral authority means, in relation to an application for a permit or an amendment to a permit, a person or body that a planning scheme specifies as a recommending referral authority for applications of that kind;

S. 3(1) def. of referral authority inserted by No. 3/2013 s. 14.

referral authority means a body or person specified in a planning scheme as—

S. 3(1) def. of referred wind energy facility permit inserted by No. 47/2017 s. 7.

referred wind energy facility permit means a permit required by a planning scheme to be obtained for the use or development of land as a wind energy facility, the application for which was referred to and determined by the Minister under Division 6 of Part 4;

S. 3(1) def. of registered restrictive covenant inserted by No. 100/2000 s. 4.

registered restrictive covenant means a restriction within the meaning of the Subdivision Act 1988;

S. 3(1) def. of responsible entity inserted by No. 19/2020 s. 74.

responsible entity has the same meaning as in the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020;

S. 3(1) def. of responsible public entity inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3), substituted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(b), amended by Nos 49/2019 s 186(Sch. 4 item 33.1), 48/2021 s. 147.

responsible public entity—

S. 3(1) def. of revocation order inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

revocation order means an order made under section 46AQ(1);

road includes highway, street, lane, footway, square, court, alley or right of way, whether a thoroughfare or not and whether accessible to the public generally or not;

S. 3(1) def. of secretary amended by Nos 125/1993 s. 20(10), 35/1995 s. 11(1)(b).

secretary in relation to a responsible authority or planning authority being—

and includes any person for the time being authorised by the authority to exercise the powers and perform the duties of that office;

S. 3(1) def. of settlement boundary inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

settlement boundary, in relation to a plan of an area, means the boundary marking the limit of urban development in that area;

S. 3(1) def. of statement of compliance inserted by No. 7/2018 s. 4.

statement of compliance means a statement of compliance issued under section 21 of the Subdivision Act 1988;

S. 3(1) def. of Statement of Planning Policy inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

Statement of Planning Policy means a Statement of Planning Policy approved under Part 3AAB in relation to a declared area, as amended from time to time;

S. 3(1) def. of subdivision amended by No. 53/1988 s. 45(Sch. 2 item 30).

subdivision means the division of land into two or more parts which can be disposed of separately;

S. 3(1) def. of Suburban Rail Loop Authority inserted by No. 43/2021 s. 116.

Suburban Rail Loop Authority means the Authority established by section 8 of the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021;

S. 3(1) def. of Suburban Rail Loop Minister inserted by No. 43/2021 s. 116.

Suburban Rail Loop Minister means the Minister administering section 65 of the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021;

S. 3(1) def. of Suburban Rail Loop planning area declaration inserted by No. 43/2021 s. 116.

Suburban Rail Loop planning area declaration has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021;

S. 3(1) def. of Suburban Rail Loop program inserted by No. 43/2021 s. 116.

Suburban Rail Loop program has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021;

S. 3(1) def. of Suburban Rail Loop program objectives inserted by No. 43/2021 s. 116.

Suburban Rail Loop program objectives has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Suburban Rail Loop Act 2021;

S. 3(1) def. of Tribunal inserted by No. 52/1998 s. 183(b).

Tribunal means Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal established by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998;

S. 3(1) def. of urban growth boundary inserted by No. 23/2010 s. 3.

urban growth boundary means a boundary that is specified or is to be specified as an urban growth boundary in a planning scheme;

use in relation to land includes use or proposed use for the purpose for which the land has been or is being or may be developed;

S. 3(1) def. of Victoria Planning Provisions inserted by No. 77/1996 s. 4.

Victoria Planning Provisions means the Victoria Planning Provisions approved under Part 1A as amended from time to time^[1];

S. 3(1) def. of Victorian Planning Authority inserted by No. 11/2017 s. 55(a).

Victorian Planning Authority means the Victorian Planning Authority established under section 4 of the Victorian Planning Authority Act 2017;

S. 3(1) def. of water corporation inserted by No. 17/2018 s. 3(a).

water corporation has the same meaning as in the Water Act 1989;

S. 3(1) def. of wind energy facility inserted by No. 47/2017 s. 7.

wind energy facility means an electricity generation facility that generates electricity by converting wind energy into electricity;

S. 3(1) def. of works amended by No. 49/2017 s. 61(2).

works includes any change to the natural or existing condition or topography of land including the removal, destruction or lopping of trees and the removal of vegetation or topsoil;

S. 3(1) def. of Yarra protection principles inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3).

Yarra protection principles has the same meaning as in the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017;

S. 3(1) def. of Yarra River land inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3).

Yarra River land has the same meaning as in the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017;

S. 3(1) def. of Yarra Strategic Plan inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3).

Yarra Strategic Plan has the same meaning as in the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017;

S. 3(1) def. of Yarra Strategic Plan area inserted by No. 49/2017 s. 61(3).

Yarra Strategic Plan area has the same meaning as in the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017.

S. 3(2) inserted by No. 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1), amended by Nos 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 155.1), 47/2007 s. 3(2), 70/2013 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 36.2), 25/2025 s. 106(Sch. 1 item 32.2).

S. 3(3) inserted by No. 77/2003 s. 3(2).

S. 3AA inserted by No. 47/2017 s. 4.