About

Council is reviewing the Cardinia Planning Scheme to ensure it remains effective, efficient, and aligned with the Victorian Government planning objectives. This is a strategic review, not a rezoning process. It focuses on how well the planning scheme is working and where improvements can be made.

The Review will help shape future planning decisions and help ensure the planning scheme reflects community needs and priorities.

Why are we doing the Review?

Council is required by law to review the Cardinia Planning Scheme every four years and within one year of adopting a new Council Plan and must ensure it achieves the objectives for planning in Victoria (Section 12B of the Planning and Environment Act 1987).

The Review will cover the period from December 2018 to June 2026, and the final report will be submitted to the Minister for Planning by 30 June 2026.

Community feedback is now open

This is the first stage of community engagement and there will be another opportunity to provide further feedback in early-mid 2026. We’re also considering feedback from other recent community consultations to build on what we’ve already heard.

Have Your Say

Help us ensure our Planning Scheme is relevant to the community by completing an online survey. Whether you’re a local resident or a professional user of our Planning Scheme, your feedback matters. We want to know, what’s working well in the Planning Scheme? What’s not working well or causing issues? What could be improved?

Your feedback will be part of the technical analysis that informs the Draft Cardinia Planning Scheme Review 2026 which will be shared for further community feedback in early-mid 2026.

Council will be holding four drop-in sessions across the Shire where you are invited to come along and ask questions about the Cardinia Planning Scheme and gain information about this Review.

Click on one of the tabs below to complete either the Community Survey or the Professional Survey, whichever best suits your role and experience.

  • Professionals

    If you work across the Shire in planning, building, development, or contracting, this survey is designed for you.

    Complete the survey 

Privacy Statement

We are collecting your feedback to inform the Planning Scheme Amendment project. To see our complete Privacy Policy please see Privacy, copyright and disclaimer.

Cardinia Shire Council privacy collection statement

Personal information collected by Council, its external service providers or contractors, is used for municipal purposes as specified in the Local Government Act 2020. The personal information will be held securely and used solely by Council for these purposes and/or directly related purposes. Council may disclose this information to other organisations if required or permitted by legislation, and who are bound by substantially similar obligations. The applicant understands that the personal information provided is for the above purpose and that he or she may apply to Council for access to and/or amendment of the information. Requests for access and/or correction should be made to Council’s Privacy Officer on 1300 787 624 or mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au.

FAQs

The Review is an audit of the planning scheme’s performance, aiming to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in meeting Victoria’s planning objectives.

The Planning Scheme Review will identify:

  • Response to the Victorian Government’s planning objectives
  • Response to the Victorian Government’s new planning reforms
  • What is working well and what can be improved
  • Drafting and mapping errors and anomalies
  • Progress made on the 2018 Cardinia Planning Scheme Review recommendations
  • Responsiveness to directions set by the final Cardinia Council Plan 2025
  • Responsiveness to land use planning trends
  • Local Planning Policy gaps
  • Further strategic work required
  • A plan to implement planning scheme changes to respond to the Review findings

The Review is a high-level strategic analysis, meaning that it will look at the big picture. It is a high-level check of how well the Cardinia Planning Scheme is working overall, and where improvements might be needed. It cannot change the content of standard planning rules set by the Victorian Government (known as the Victorian Planning Provisions (VPPs)) such as the head clause of a zone or overlay. It also won't focus on zone or overlay changes to individual properties.

A Planning Scheme sets out the state, regional and local planning policy requirements for the use, development and protection of land in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

Every local government area in Victoria has a Planning Scheme, which contains content relevant to that area.

The Planning Scheme is used to inform and assess planning permit applications for land use and development within Cardinia Shire.

The PPF is the new location for planning policy content in the Cardinia Planning Scheme and is located between Clauses 10 - 19. It introduced a new three-tiered approach to the Victorian Planning Provisions by integrating State, Regional and Local Planning Policy into a single policy source. Previously they sat separately, although regional level planning was not a common feature of the Planning Scheme.

The MPS forms part of the new Planning Policy Framework (PPF) in Clause 02 of the Cardinia Planning Scheme. The MPS sets out Council’s strategic policy directions for a municipality. It highlights the key planning matters that are important to Cardinia and provides the context for Local Planning Policies found in Clauses 10 to 19 which include State and Regional Planning Policies that are relevant to the municipality.

The MPS is based on Council’s adopted local policies and strategies and the Council Plan. Only policies and strategies with a land use and development focus can be considered for inclusion in the MPS, and drafting must be prepared in line with Department of Transport and Planning guidance material.

The purpose of the review is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Cardinia Planning Scheme in achieving:

  • The objectives of planning in Victoria
  • The objectives and strategies of the Planning Policy Framework (PPF) in the Cardinia Planning Scheme

The Planning Scheme Review is focussed on the third tier of the Planning Policy Framework (PPF), being Local Planning Policy, and associated local content in other parts of the Cardinia Planning Scheme.

A Planning Scheme Review:

  • Will not make changes to zones or overlays on specific properties, the review is strategic, not site-specific
  • Is not a rewrite or new planning scheme and focuses on the existing Cardinia Planning Scheme
  • Cannot contradict State Planning Policy directives and must align with State Government planning reforms

A Planning Scheme Review will not make changes to zoning or overlays on specific properties, the review is strategic, not site-specific.

The Victorian Property and Parcel information search provides you with quick and easy access to a summary of property information, go to Property and parcel search.