Zones and overlays

Aerial view of houses

Zones

Each parcel of land in Victoria has a zone.

The zone identifies the purpose of the area and the use (e.g. residential, commercial, open space etc)
 
The zone will determine if
  • you need a planning permit to use or develop the land
  • you need a planning permit to make other changes to the land.
  • a use is prohibited.
The zone also lists the information that you should include with an application.

It also outlines what council must consider when making a planning decision.

Overlays

An overlay applies another layer of planning controls to a parcel of land.  Not all land has an overlay, and some may have more than one.

If an overlay applies, the land will have some special features such as a bushfire, flood or erosion risk, significant vegetation or heritage buildings. 

The overlay will determine if you need a permit to use or develop the land.

Find the zones and overlays that apply to a property

You can check the zones and overlays of a property on the VicPlan website.  Enter the address to find the zones, overlays and planning controls that apply.

Find the zones and overlays

Find out more about zones and overlays

Common questions about zones and overlays

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