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 Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from the approval rate.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 at the Tribunal — for applicants fighting a refusal, and for objectors challenging a permit.
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.
Protection Works
Form 7 and Form 8 notices under the Building Act — acting for building owners, adjoining owners and surveyor referrals. Victoria only.
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.