• Current Status

    Panel Hearing

    Hearing commences: Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

About the Amendment

The Surf Coast Shire Council has prepared Amendment C147surf to the Surf Coast Planning Scheme to implement the recommendations from the Surf Coast Planning Scheme Review 2024.

Land Affected by the Amendment

The land affected by the amendment is all land in Surf Coast Shire.

What the Amendment Does

Amendment C147surf implements the recommendations of the Surf Coast Planning Scheme Review 2024 into the Surf Coast Planning Scheme.

The amendment does this by introducing new and revised local content into the Municipal Planning Strategy, Planning Policy Framework, and schedules to zones, overlays, particular provisions, general provisions, and operational provisions.

Find out more about the Planning Scheme Review 2024

As part of this amendment, Surf Coast Shire Council seeks to introduce a new Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) policy into the planning scheme.

The new ESD policy would apply when both of the following apply:

  • The need for a planning permit is triggered.
  • The application is for two or more dwellings or for a commercial development.

While Environmentally Sustainable Design is an important consideration in all development, the new policy will not apply to planning applications relating to one dwelling on a lot. If you would like to know more about ESD, please see the Environmentally Sustainable Design section of council’s website.

Panel Hearing

An Independent Panel has been appointed to review the submissions.

The Panel Hearing will commence at 10am on Tuesday 24 February 2026.

The Panel Hearing will be held online only. If you wish to view the hearing, please join via Microsoft Teams link below.

Click here to join the Surf Coast C147surf Hearing.

After the hearing, the Panel usually takes 4-8 weeks to provide its report back to Council.

A copy of the timetable for the Panel Hearing and copies of Expert Witness Statements will be posted in the Document Library section of this webpage once available.

Want to know more?

You may inspect the amendment, any documents that support the amendment and the explanatory report about the amendment, free of charge, at:

  • In the document library on this web page;
  • At the Department of Transport and Planning website (for all clauses and schedules, map sheets, incorporated and background documents)
  • In person, at the Surf Coast Shire civic office 1 Merrijig Drive, Torquay, VIC 3228
Contact us

For all enquiries, contact the Strategic Planning Team at info@surfcoast.vic.gov.au or alternatively call 5261 0600.