Housing approvals to be fast-tracked under new planning controls

Neighbours will not be able to object to new developments of between four and six storeys that meet certain standards, under a state government plan to fast-track housing around Victoria.

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny will announce on Thursday the statewide “mid-rise code” that will apply to developments of four to six storeys. The government says the code will cut average approval timelines by five months.

Any mid-rise project that aligns with the set of “deemed to comply” standards will automatically be approved for construction – as long as it falls within existing height restrictions for the area.

There will be no recourse for neighbours to appeal the decision through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, but developments will still have to comply with any existing heritage or flood overlays.

Kilkenny said the new regulations would make it easier to build homes in the suburbs that are desirable for families and young people.

“The status quo is not an option. We need to deliver more housing choice where Victorians want it – close to public transport, jobs and services,” she said.

Standards within the new code include meeting minimum room sizes, providing a well-sized balcony or garden and adding increased building setbacks, elements the government says will ensure homes remain well designed.

The code follows on from Labor’s existing “townhouse and low-rise code”, which was announced in February and is aimed at fast-tracking buildings up to three storeys.

It will come into effect on April 16. Buildings that do not meet the criteria will move through a different planning process.

Local governments have previously expressed concern over what the fast-tracked system means for community consultation and transparency.

Planning decisions for mid-rise projects will still sit with local councils, but councillors will be unable to reject a permit for developments that meet the code.

An October 2025 submission by the Municipal Association of Victoria to the Department of Transport and Planning in response to a draft version of the code said that it risked undermining the legitimacy of the planning system and eroding public trust.

Boroondara Council criticised the draft version of the plans during the same month, particularly the fact that bedrooms would be considered compliant even if their only source of natural light was an internal-facing window.

Whitehorse City Council expressed “significant concerns” about the draft mid-rise standards at a meeting last September.

On Wednesday, the government also announced the final maps for 25 of Melbourne’s “activity centres”, which determined new 20-storey maximum building heights in some parts of Coburg and Brunswick.

The planning controls for 35 of 60 controversial precincts have now been finalised, and are expected to take effect within months.

The government’s planning regulation changes come as the opposition continues its campaign against denser development in the city’s middle-ring suburbs. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has announced that her party intends to expand the Capital City Zone to encourage more development in the CBD.

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