As the owner or occupier of the land, you may apply for an extension of time to the commencement or completion date of an existing permit:
- Within 6 months after the permit expiry date, where the use or development allowed by the permit has not yet started (commencement); or
- within 12 months after the permit expiry date, where the development allowed by the permit lawfully started before the permit expired, but has not been completed
A permit cannot be extended if a request is made outside the above timeframes and you will not be able to apply to VCAT for a review of the matter. You will need to apply for a brand new planning permit.
It is up to Council as to how long your planning permit is extended. Council might also decide on a different date for your permit extension, rather than what you have requested.
The following circumstances have a strong impact on whether Council approves the request (and for how long):
- Whether there has been a change of planning policy
- Whether the landowner is seeking to “warehouse” the permit
- Intervening circumstances as bearing upon grant or refusal
- The total elapse of time
- Whether the limit originally imposed was adequate
- The economic burden imposed on the landowner by the permit
- The probability of a permit issuing should a fresh application be made
How to apply
What happens next?
After your request to extend has been submitted and the fee paid, a member of the Planning Services team will assess the request and provide a written response.
If we refuse your request and it was made within the relevant timeframe, you may choose to apply to review the decision with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).