Town planning in the Bass Coast Shire.
Wonthaggi · Cowes · Inverloch · San Remo · Grantville · Corinella
Bass Coast is one of regional Victoria's fastest-growing municipalities, taking in Phillip Island, Wonthaggi, Inverloch and the Western Port villages. Growth pressure meets a planning framework built to protect coastal landscapes — including state-level distinctive area and landscape policy that elevates the strategic stakes of many applications.
Township boundaries, native vegetation, bushfire risk and flooding controls shape most projects here, and the difference between land inside and outside a settlement boundary is often the difference between a permit and a refusal.
We are currently active in Grantville on both sides of the ledger: a twelve-lot residential subdivision (with a future childcare site) adjoining the activity centre, and the approved Grantville retail centre — supermarket, shops, medical and service uses — secured through Council with native vegetation and highway access approvals resolved. Regional coastal work is a core part of our practice, not an occasional sideline.
Controls you'll commonly meet in Bass Coast.
Every property is different — these are the zones and overlays that most often shape applications in this municipality. Each links to the current ordinance in the Bass Coast planning scheme.
What the numbers say about Bass Coast.
planning applications recorded, FY2015–16 to FY2022–23
of determined applications resulted in a permit or notice of decision
median time from lodgement to decision
Source: Department of Transport and Planning, Planning Permit Activity Reporting (PPARS) register — historical data to mid-2023. Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from the approval rate. These figures describe the council overall — your site's prospects depend on its specific controls.
Selected Bass Coast projects.
Residential Subdivision, Grantville
Subdivision into twelve residential allotments plus a larger lot reserved for a future childcare centre — progressing on land adjoining the Grantville activity centre in a Mixed Use Zone.
Retail & Commercial Activity Centre, Grantville
Mixed-use retail and commercial activity centre in a South Gippsland coastal township — supermarket, pharmacy, office, food and drink premises, service station and packaged liquor outlet, approved by Bass Coast Shire Council.
Services we provide in Bass Coast.
Residential
Single dwellings, dual occupancies, multi-unit and apartment developments — the backbone of our practice.
Commercial Permits
Statutory planning strategy, lodgement and permit management for commercial, retail and industrial projects.
VCAT Appeals
Strategic advocacy when your application is refused or objected to.
Strategic Planning
Planning scheme amendments, rezonings and structure plans for long-horizon projects.
Development Advice
Know what you can build before you buy — or before you commit capital.
Renewable Energy
Solar farms, wind farms and battery storage — specialist approvals experience.
Questions we’re asked most.
If you have a question that’s not here, call us — we answer honestly, whether or not it leads to work.
- It depends heavily on whether the land sits inside the settlement boundary and what zone applies — Township, rural or residential. Inside the boundaries, well-designed subdivision and development is actively contemplated by the scheme; outside them, the policy bar is high. We give a clear pre-purchase read on exactly this question.
Got a site, a permit, or a refusal on your desk?
An obligation-free conversation is the fastest way to see if we can help. We respond within 24 hours — usually much sooner.