The town planning report your Victorian permit needs — $199, not $1,500.
Most planning permit applications in Victoria need a written report assessing your proposal against the planning scheme. A town planner charges $800–$1,500 and takes weeks. instantplanning builds the same council-ready report from current Victorian planning scheme data — in minutes — and you review it before you lodge.
Address to lodged permit, in three steps.
Account created instantly. Report delivered same day.
Enter your address
Describe your build
Download your report
Exactly what your council assessor expects.
One payment, one complete report — every scheme control, every ResCode table, ready to lodge. Re-run free if your plans change.
Every ResCode control, checked before you lodge.
We test your proposal against the ResCode standards councils most often raise in a Request for Further Information — before you lodge.
Garden area & site coverage
Building height & storeys
Setbacks & neighbourhood character
Overlooking & overshadowing
See exactly what you'll submit.
Every report follows the structure your responsible authority expects — the subject site, the planning controls, a clause-by-clause assessment, and a clear conclusion. Here's the contents of a Clause 54 single-dwelling report:
One report. One flat fee.
$199, paid once, per report. No subscription, no planner retainer, no hourly billing. Re-run the same address free whenever your plans or council change.
- →Council-ready PDF
- →Editable Word document
- →Clause 54/55 + zone + overlay tables
- →Ready in minutes
- →Free re-runs for same address
- →Refund guarantee — no questions asked
Reports for every job — without the subscription.
You hit this need on every applicable job. Keep your details on file, re-order in seconds, and get the same consistent, council-ready output every time — at a flat $199 per report, never a monthly seat.
Create a builder account →No subscription, ever
$199 per report, pay as you go. The deliberate alternative to a monthly SaaS seat you don't always use.
White-label ready
Add your logo and practice details to the report so it goes to your client and their council under your name.
Consistent every time
Same structure, same standard, assessed against the same clauses — across every job and every responsible authority.
Questions from builders, designers and homeowners.
01Will council accept this report?
Your report addresses the matters a responsible authority weighs when deciding a planning permit under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and your council's planning scheme — the proposal, the zone and overlay controls, a clause-by-clause ResCode assessment (Clause 54, 55 or 58), neighbourhood character, and a conclusion. It's organised the way a council planner reads an application, and the editable Word file lets you add any site-specific detail. As with any self-prepared report, review every section before submitting.
02How is the report generated?
We read the planning controls for your address from Victorian government sources — VicPlan and the planning property report, MapShareVic (DEECA), the CFA bushfire mapping and the Victorian Heritage Register — then assess your proposal against the VPP clauses that apply. It's the same scheme data a town planner gathers by hand, compiled into a structured report in minutes.
The entire process — data collection, compliance verification, report assembly — takes approximately five minutes.
03What if council requests more information?
Requests for Information (RFIs) are a normal part of the permit application process and occur with planner-prepared reports too. Common RFIs relate to site-specific details that require on-ground verification — stormwater management plans, shadow diagrams, or neighbour notification responses.
A Request for Further Information (RFI) is a normal step and happens with planner-prepared reports too — usually site-specific items like shadow diagrams, landscape plans or amended drawings. Add the detail to your editable Word file, or re-run the report for the same address for free, and resubmit to your council.
04Which councils are supported?
We pull planning-scheme data for every Victorian council, because all 79 schemes are built from the same Victoria Planning Provisions. Council-specific schedules — height, neighbourhood character, overlay schedules — are layered in, with metropolitan Melbourne councils covered first and regional schemes added progressively.
If your council's overlay isn't yet in our system, the report will include all zone and VPP compliance but flag overlay sections for manual review.
05What about heritage, flood or bushfire overlays?
We automatically detect all three from government APIs.
Heritage — checked against the VIC Heritage Register and your council's zone heritage schedule. If your site is a heritage item or within a Heritage Overlay area, the report includes a heritage impact assessment section.
Flood — checked against the zone flood planning area map. Flood-affected sites receive additional assessment against the VIC Floodplain Development Manual.
Bushfire — checked against the CFA bush fire prone land map. Category 1, Category 2, and vegetation buffer zones are identified and assessed against Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019.
06Do I even need a planning permit?
Yes — account creation takes 30 seconds and happens automatically when you pay. Your account stores every report you've generated so you can re-download or re-run them at any time. Re-running a report for the same address is free.
07What is a Town Planning Report?
A Town Planning Report is a mandatory document for all planning permit applications in VIC. It's required under Schedule 1 of the Victorian Planning Provisions.
The report assesses the environmental impacts of your proposed development and demonstrates compliance with planning controls — the planning scheme, planning scheme overlays, and relevant Victoria Planning Provisions (VPPs).
Without a report, your council cannot assess your application. Every responsible authority requires a town planning report as part of the planning permit lodgement.
08What does $199 actually buy me?
$199 delivers two files: a council-ready PDF formatted with page numbers and your address on every page, ready for lodgement, and an editable Word document for any site-specific adjustments. Both are stored against your account for unlimited re-download. Need to re-run the report for the same address — after an RFI, or if your plans change? That's free, always.
09How do I lodge the report with council?
Download the PDF from your report page. Victoria has no single statewide lodgement portal — you lodge with your council as the responsible authority, through its planning portal or application form (or SPEAR for subdivision). Download the PDF, attach it to your permit application with your plans, and submit. Use the editable Word file for any final adjustments first. The editable Word version lets you make any last adjustments before lodging.
Your VIC town planning report, in minutes.
Enter your address and we'll build a council-ready report you can review and lodge with your permit application today.
Everything you need to lodge your permit
What Is a Town Planning Report?
The complete guide to the report — what it is, who needs one, and how to prepare yours.
13 min readpermit application ProcessHow to Lodge a Planning Permit in VIC
Step-by-step guide to lodging a planning permit with your council.
9 min readCosts & FeesHow Much Does a Town Planner Cost in VIC?
2026 pricing for report preparation — planners vs instantplanning vs DIY.
7 min read