Planning applications

Suburban Rail Loop East Specific Control Overlays

Planning control overlays are commonly used in Victoria to facilitate the delivery and protection of public infrastructure.

SRL East has 2 specific control overlays:

Specific Controls Overlay Schedule 14 (SCO14) is a planning control for the design, construction and operation of the 26km underground tunnels, stations and other SRL East infrastructure.
Specific Controls Overlay Schedule 15 (SCO15) is a planning control to protect SRL East underground infrastructure from developments that could damage infrastructure if they are not designed appropriately, such as those with deep foundations or multi-level basements.

If your property is affected by SCO15, a planning permit may be required for buildings and works. Please refer below for additional information on SCO15. If a permit under SCO15 is required, you should apply for a planning permit through your local Council (or Responsible Authority) as usual. The Council will facilitate the process and refer relevant applications to Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) for assessment against SCO15 provisions.

If your property is within the SCO15 area, it is recommended you contact us for pre-planning advice if you intend to construct a building or carry out works on land affected by SCO15. This is an opportunity to learn more about SCO15 requirements and ensure these have been considered in your planning application.

Specific Controls Overlay 15 (SCO15)

SCO15 enables property owners and developers to consider underground infrastructure early when designing and delivering future developments.

What areas are affected by SCO15?

SCO15 has been applied to relevant land within the municipalities of Bayside, Kingston, Monash and Whitehorse.

How do I know if my property is affected

Use VicPlan to search for your property and generate a property report to see if SCO15 and other planning overlays affect your property.

Find your property

This map shows SCO15 boundaries and indicate where planning permission is required. View the maps to see if your property is fully or partly affected by SCO15.

SCO15 map (PDF 41MB)

This map was added to the Bayside, Kingston, Monash and Whitehorse Planning Schemes in September 2022. Due to the nature of SRL East, the properties affected by SCO15 may be subject to change over time.

Do I need a planning permit?

There are 2 areas within SCO15 that have different planning permit triggers:

Land within the Project Infrastructure Protection Area A (PDF 41MB)
Land outside Project Infrastructure Protection Area A, but still within the SCO15 boundary

If you intend to construct a building or carry out works on land affected by SCO15, it is recommended you contact us for pre-planning advice prior to lodging an application. This is an opportunity to learn more about SCO15 requirements and ensure these have been considered in your planning application.

Read our Planning application guidelines

Find out more information about planning permit triggers for each area in the Infrastructure Protection Incorporated Document.

What is the planning application process?

If your property is affected by SCO15, you should apply for a planning permit through your local Council (or Responsible Authority) as usual. The Council will facilitate the process and will refer relevant applications to Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) for assessment against SCO15 provisions.

Prior to lodging an application, it is also recommended you contact us for pre-planning advice if you intend to construct a building or carry out works on land affected by SCO15. This is an opportunity to learn more about SCO15 requirements and ensure these have been considered in your planning application.

How are planning applications assessed?

If your property is affected by SCO15, you should apply for a planning permit through your local Council (or Responsible Authority) as usual. The Council will facilitate the process and refer relevant applications to Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) for assessment against SCO15 provisions.

A decision will not be made on the planning application until this review has been undertaken.

When was SCO15 introduced

SCO15 was exhibited as a part of a public process. It was reviewed by an independent Inquiry and Advisory Committee as part of the SRL East Environment Effects Statement, prior to being approved by the Minister for Planning and gazetted.

Find out more about SRL East Infrastructure Protection.

Specific Controls Overlay 14 (SCO14)

SCO14 is a planning control that authorises the design, construction and operation of the 26km underground tunnels, stations and other infrastructure for SRL East.

SCO14 is only relevant to the development and operation of SRL East and does not require any action from property owners. SCO14 does not introduce new planning permit requirements on property owners or planning permit applicants.

Use VicPlan to search for your property and generate a property report to see if SCO14 or other planning overlays affect your property.

Find your property

This map shows SCO14 boundaries and was added to the Bayside, Kingston, Monash and Whitehorse Planning Schemes in September 2022. Due to the nature of SRL East, the properties affected by SCO14 may be subject to change over time. View the map to check if your property is fully or partly affected by SCO14:

SCO14 map (PDF 41MB)

Referrals process

Local Councils work with relevant authorities to facilitate planning applications on behalf of applicants.

Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) is the determining referral authority under Specific Controls Overlay 15 (SCO15). This means Councils will refer relevant applications to SRLA for assessment against SCO15 provisions. A decision will not be made on the planning application until this review has been undertaken.

Applicants are encouraged to take the following steps when preparing and submitting a planning application for properties affected by SCO15.

Consulting with SRLA early in the process helps ensure SCO15 requirements are considered in the planning application prior to submission.

SRLA will adopt the following process in most referral cases.

Steps to plan and lodge a planning application

Check if your property is affected by SCO15
Check if the proposed buildings or works need planning approval

If your property is affected by SCO15 and the buildings or works require planning approval, your planning application will be referred to SRLA by the Council (or the Responsible Authority).

If you intend to construct a building or carry out works on land affected by SCO15, it is strongly recommended you seek pre-planning advice from SRLA prior to lodging an application.

This is an opportunity to learn more about SCO15 requirements, discuss how your property may be affected by SCO15 and assess how your proposal may interact with the SRL East infrastructure protection zone. A decision will not be made during pre-planning advice meetings.

On a case-by-case basis, technical advice will be provided to assist with meeting the SCO15 requirements.

Applicants may choose to consider engaging a structural engineer to assist with this process, particularly when it is unclear if the proposal can meet the decision guidelines of SCO15. Planning for geotechnical investigations will also be an important consideration.

Planning Permit Applications should be lodged through your local Council (or Responsible Authority) as usual.

The Council will refer relevant applications to Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) for assessment against SCO15 provisions, as SRLA is a determining referral authority under the Planning Scheme.

SRLA will assess the application against the design considerations for the SRL East, taking into account the decision guidelines for SCO15. SRLA may request further information from the applicant to facilitate this assessment.

The outcome of SRLA’s assessment will determine the Responsible Authority’s decision on the application. SRLA may:

not object to the proposal being approved where anticipated impacts on the SRL East are acceptable
not object to the proposal being approved, but require conditions to be included on any planning permit issued to ensure anticipated impacts are acceptable, or
object to the proposal, such that it cannot be approved.

Once a decision is made, applicants are required to comply with specific conditions of the permit.

Pre-planning advice

If you intend to construct a building or carry out works on land affected by SCO15, it is recommended you contact us for pre-planning advice prior to lodging an application to ensure SCO15 requirements have been considered in your application.

There are no fees associated with pre-planning requests.

Contact us for pre-planning advice

General enquiry

If you have a general enquiry in relation to SRL East and SCO15, or you would like initial feedback on your proposal in the concept stage, please contact us.

Email us at infrastructure.protection@srla.vic.gov.au or call us on 1800 105 105.

We will aim to provide a response to general enquiries within 30 days of receiving all information.

Request a meeting with SRLA

If you are preparing a Planning Application and would like detailed feedback on how your proposal, please contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss your application.