Town planning in the City of Merri-bek.
Brunswick · Coburg · Pascoe Vale · Fawkner · Glenroy · Hadfield · Oak Park
Merri-bek — formerly Moreland — is one of Melbourne's most active infill municipalities: heritage-listed Victorian streets in Brunswick, former industrial land in transition, and growth-zone corridors around the Upfield line driving apartment and townhouse development.
Council brings a strong design and sustainability agenda to its assessments, and applications on former industrial land regularly confront environmental audit requirements — a specialist layer that catches unprepared applicants.
Our Brunswick experience includes securing approval for a thirteen-storey mixed-use development on Albert Street — the kind of contested, design-scrutinised application where planning strategy, urban design evidence and negotiation each carry part of the load.
Controls you'll commonly meet in Merri-bek.
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 Merri-bek planning scheme.
What the numbers say about Merri-bek.
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 Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from the approval rate.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.
Services we provide in Merri-bek.
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.
- The EAO sits on land with a history of potentially contaminating use. It doesn't prohibit development, but before a sensitive use like housing can occur, a preliminary risk screen assessment or environmental audit must be completed. It affects program and budget more than feasibility — and it needs sequencing into the project plan early.
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.