Town planning in the Nillumbik Shire.
Eltham · Diamond Creek · Research · Hurstbridge · St Andrews · Kangaroo Ground
Nillumbik calls itself the green wedge shire, and the scheme takes the label seriously: compact townships at Eltham, Diamond Creek and Hurstbridge, and beyond them a protected rural landscape where conservation zoning, vegetation controls and deliberately large minimum lot sizes keep the hills undeveloped.
The other defining layer is bushfire. Much of the shire carries the Bushfire Management Overlay, and after Black Saturday its application here is as rigorous as anywhere in Victoria — siting, defendable space and construction standards shape what can be built at least as much as the zones do.
Nillumbik advice starts from two questions: what the bushfire framework requires on the site, and what the land's zoning and lot history actually permit — green wedge and conservation lots frequently cannot be subdivided or carry a second dwelling regardless of their size. Inside the townships, Eltham's landscape character and treed setting drive the design conversation.
Controls you'll commonly meet in Nillumbik.
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 Nillumbik planning scheme.
Services we provide in Nillumbik.
Residential
Single dwellings, dual occupancies, multi-unit and apartment developments — the backbone of our practice.
Feasibility Report
Can your block be subdivided? A planner-reviewed desktop report for any Victorian address — $275 inc. GST, delivered within 24 hours on business days.
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.
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.
- If the lot lawfully carries a dwelling entitlement under its zone, usually yes — but the Bushfire Management Overlay will govern the siting, access, water supply and construction standard, and on heavily vegetated lots the defendable-space clearing can conflict with vegetation controls. Resolving that tension is the core of most Nillumbik applications, and it is resolvable far more often than owners fear.
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.