Planning a festival or event

Man and a young girl holding their lantern at the Belgrave Lantern Festival

At Yarra Ranges Council we encourage communities to celebrate together, and we are excited to support a range of events across our shire. We have put together resources and advice to guide you with the planning of your event.

If your event is being held on private land a Planning permit may be required. Please contact our Festival & Events Officer who can assist you and put you in contact with our Planning team if needed. A planning permit can take 6 to 12 months to process, so please allow plenty of time to work through this before lodging your event registration.

If your event is being held on public land then a Planning permit is not required, but a PoPE (Place of Public Entertainment) Permit may be required. Please register your event details to help us establish what help may be needed.

You will need to register your event at least 12 weeks before the event date and provide us with a copy of your Public Liability Insurance and a site map.

Before you register your event, please read through our Frequently asked questions and Event Quick Guide. These documents will help guide you in the initial steps you need to take in planning your event.

Please follow the steps on this page that are required to register your event.

Planning The Event

Step 1.Book your venue or open space

The first step for Event Organisers is to check the venue you wish to use is available and suitable for your event. Community halls and venues for hire can be explored on our website. For parks and open space bookings, contact our team via email at mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au.

Step 2.Event Registration 

Submit an Event Registration form, our quick online form that registers your intent to hold an event within the shire. The form asks about the nature and scale of your event, and requests a Site Map, insurance documentation and event times and dates. Our Festivals & Events Officer will review your event details then contact you to discuss next steps.

Step 3.Event Management Plan

Fill in the Event Management Plan as you go, using it as a planning tool. Submit the Event Management Plan to the Festivals & Events Officer at least 6 weeks before your event.

We will let you know if your event is approved or if changes are required.

Step 4.Next Steps 

Once your event has been accepted, look at ways to promote your event. Your event can appear in Council’s Calendar of Events or you can apply to put a banner up on poles at town entrances in Yarra Ranges.

 

 

Funding the event

Once the components of the event have been planned, a realistic budget can be developed. You may require a mix of funding sources to enable the event to go ahead. One of these sources may be Council's Grants for Community Program.