Planning applications for four dwellings can now be eligible for the VicSmart Process. Amendment VC319 was gazetted into the Victoria Planning Provisions on 22 October 2026, providing a streamlined VicSmart assessment pathway for planning permit applications seeking to construct up to four dwellings on a lot.
This change expands on Amendment VC288, introduced in October last year, which allowed for applications for up to two dwellings on a lot to be eligible for the VicSmart pathway.
These modifications now apply to all residential zones, except for the Low Density Residential Zone.
To be eligible for the VicSmart pathway, an application for up to four dwellings must meet all of the relevant neighbourhood character and external amenity standards. Mandatory zone controls, including building height and garden area requirements, will continue to apply.
VicSmart is an expedited planning process, whereby applications should be assessed by Councils within 10 statutory days, rather than the standard 60 statutory day timeframe.
Further, VicSmart applications do not undergo public notice. Previously, standard multi-dwelling applications that complied with all relevant standards would still need to undergo public notice, although would be exempt from any third-party appeal rights. The removal of the notice process altogether for eligible applications through VicSmart will remove the ambiguity of this.
However, all of the applicable standards must be met in order qualify for the VicSmart process. This is where early design review and pre-lodgement checks will be critical in confirming compliance with these standards.
The 10 statutory day assessment timeframe means that Councils will need clear triage processes and ensure enough resourcing to assess these applications quickly. It will be worthwhile watching whether Councils are able to meet these timeframes in practice.
The codification of residential development in Victoria and expedited application processes are certainly welcome changes, and will result in some much-needed faster planning decisions from Council, providing further certainty for developers.
However, time will tell what this might mean for the quality of development outcomes and if these statutory timeframes actually translate to quicker permits and housing delivery.
We also note some recent changes made to tree canopy standards (by way of Amendment VC315) to provide further clarity on how canopy coverage is to be calculated, a standard that many of our designers struggle to balance with other competing standards such as site coverage, which will remove ambiguity and the varying interpretations that some Councils have adopted.
Stay tuned for some incoming changes to the definition of ‘garden area’. We anticipate some further reform to be announced ahead of the election next month.
Considering a multi-dwelling project? Our planning team can help you check whether it’s likely to quality for the VicSmart process.
