Town Planner vs Building Designer in Victoria

"Do I need a town planner or a building designer?" is one of the most common questions Victorian homeowners ask before a renovation, extension or new build. The two roles sound similar, overlap on some projects, and are easy to confuse - but they do fundamentally different jobs, and one of them carries a legal registration requirement that the other does not.

This guide draws a clean line between the two so you can engage the right professional, in the right order, without paying for work you do not need.

1. ✓What a town planner does versus what a building designer does.
2. ✓Who must be registered - and the surprising rule about town planning drawings.
3. ✓Why many projects need both, in sequence.
4. ✓How to tell which one your project needs first.

The short answer

A town planner deals with land use and prepares the town planning report behind a planning permit application; a building designer prepares the detailed drawings used for a building permit and construction. Building designers must be registered with the Victorian Building Authority; town planners need no licence.

The rest of this guide unpacks how the two roles fit together on a real project.

What does a town planner do?

A town planner works at the land-use stage. Their job is to assess your site against the relevant planning scheme - your zone, any overlays, state and local policy, and particular provisions such as ResCode (Clause 54 for one dwelling, Clause 55 for two or more) - and to argue, in a written town planning report, that your proposal is appropriate. That report supports your planning permit application to the council.

Crucially, town planning is not a licensed or registered profession in Victoria. Anyone can prepare and lodge a planning permit application. The main quality benchmark is voluntary membership of the Planning Institute of Australia, whose members carry post-nominals such as MPIA or RPIA. You can read more at planning.org.au.

What does a building designer do?

A building designer (and the closely related draftsperson) prepares the architectural drawings, specifications and documentation that turn an approved concept into a buildable project. Their output feeds the building permit - the construction approval issued by a registered building surveyor - and the work on site.

Here is the key legal difference: under the Victorian building regulations, a person who provides building design or drafting services for a fee must generally be registered with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). The VBA recognises three classes - Building Design (Architectural), Building Design (Interior) and Building Design (Services). You can check a practitioner's registration at vba.vic.gov.au.

Figure 1: Town planner and building designer compared across the points that matter.

The registration rule people miss

There is a nuance worth highlighting because it directly affects your planning report. VBA guidance is explicit that registration as a draftsperson or building designer is not required when preparing town planning permit drawings - that is, plans that are not part of the building-permit process. Registration attaches to building-permit and construction documentation, not to the town planning stage.

In practice this means two things. First, the person who draws up the plans that accompany your planning permit application does not need to be a registered building designer for that stage. Second, the town planning report itself - the document that addresses your zone, overlays and ResCode - is a planning document, not a building document, so no building registration applies to it either.

Figure 2: Who does what, when, and what registration applies at each stage.

Why most projects need both

For anything more than a trivial job, you will usually engage both professionals - just at different stages and often through one coordinator.

A typical sequence for a Victorian extension or new dwelling looks like this:

1. ✓Confirm controls. Identify your zone and overlays - you can do this free on VicPlan at mapshare.vic.gov.au/vicplan - to learn whether a planning permit is even required.
2. ✓Concept and planning drawings. A designer prepares the proposed layout and elevations at a level suitable for the planning stage.
3. ✓Town planning report and permit application. The planning report addresses the scheme and supports the planning permit application to council. A standard application is generally decided within 60 days, though a council request for further information can pause that clock.
4. ✓Detailed building documentation. Once the planning permit is granted, a VBA-registered building designer prepares the detailed drawings and specifications for the building permit.
5. ✓Building permit. A registered building surveyor issues the building permit, and construction can begin.

Which one do you need first?

The honest answer depends on whether a planning permit is required at all - and that depends on your site's controls. Many minor works need only a building permit; many others trigger a planning permit because of a zone or overlay.

• ✓Check your zone and overlays on VicPlan
• ✓Decide whether a planning permit is required
• ✓If yes, sort the town planning report and permit first
• ✓Then move to detailed building design and the building permit
• ✓Engage a VBA-registered designer for the building stage

If your proposal is straightforward and a planning permit is required, the planning report is often the simplest part to fast-track. A structured online tool can build a council-ready town planning report from current Victorian planning scheme data, which you then hand to your designer and lodge with council. Complex, heritage-affected or contested proposals still benefit from an experienced human planner who can negotiate with the council.

Figure 3: The usual order of events - planning approval before detailed building design.

Get the planning stage moving

If a planning permit stands between you and your build, you do not have to wait weeks for the report. instantplanning builds a council-ready town planning report from current Victorian planning scheme data in minutes, and you review every line before you lodge - compared with a professional fee and several weeks for a traditional planner. See how the town planning report works, or start your report now, then take it to your VBA-registered building designer for the construction documentation.

For related reading, see our guides on draftsperson vs town planner costs, what a town planner does, and what a town planning report is.