Victoria · City of Whittlesea
Your Melbourne northern growth-corridor council approval guide
The City of Whittlesea is one of Melbourne's designated growth corridors, Mernda, Doreen, Wollert, Donnybrook and Beveridge (which straddles Whittlesea + Mitchell) are all rapidly-developing. Because of this the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) applies to much of the land. Whittlesea IS one of the councils that still ISSUES building permits directly, alongside the private-RBS option.
GAIC applies to most greenfield land
The Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) applies to designated growth corridor land in Whittlesea. 2026-27 rates: $122,260/ha Type A, $145,220/ha Type B/C. Building works threshold: $1,528,532. ALWAYS ask the vendor for a current GAIC statement before signing a land contract.
Development Contribution Plans + Infrastructure Contributions Plans
Individual precincts (Mernda, Doreen, Wollert etc.) have DCPs / ICPs that levy additional infrastructure charges, often $8,000-$20,000 per lot on top of GAIC.
Council-issued building permits
Unlike most inner-Melbourne councils, Whittlesea DOES issue building permits directly. Call 03 9217 2170 before starting to check application fees and any additional needs.
Commencement + completion deadlines
Residential permits must commence within 12 months and complete within 24 months of issue. Commercial has 36 months. Miss these and you re-apply.
Victoria separates planning permits (about land use, from your council) and building permits (about construction methods, from a Relevant Building Surveyor). You usually need the planning permit FIRST, then the building permit.
Check zoning + overlays
Use VicPlan (planning-schemes.app.planning.vic.gov.au) or your council's interactive map to identify the zone, any heritage overlay, character area, environmental overlay or growth area zone that applies to your block.
Planning permit (if required)
If your project needs a planning permit (most heritage / character-area / larger developments do), lodge with your council. VicSmart is a fast-tracked pathway available for some minor applications.
Appoint a Relevant Building Surveyor (RBS)
The RBS must be appointed by the OWNER (not the builder). Choose either a municipal or private building surveyor. This is a legal requirement in VIC.
Building Permit Number (BPN) via BAMS
Your RBS applies for a 13-digit BPN through the Building Activity Management System (BAMS). Since 26 November 2025 a new formula for the Calculated Cost of Works (CoW) applies. New BAMS reporting fields (including mandatory architect status) took effect 20 March 2026.
Building Permit Levy
Required for works costing over $10,000. Rate: 0.00064 general levy + 0.00064 DBDRV levy of the CoW. Pay via the BPC secure portal (BPAY or card). Your RBS cannot issue the permit until the BPN is received.
Construction, inspections + occupancy
Build proceeds under RBS inspection at prescribed stages. On completion, the RBS issues an Occupancy Permit (or Certificate of Final Inspection for extensions).
These are STATE fees, identical across every Melbourne council. Your council may charge additional planning-permit application fees on top, see per-council notes below.
It depends on the parcel size, the GAIC type designation and whether the previous owner already paid or deferred. The 2026-27 rates are $122,260 per hectare for Type A land and $145,220 per hectare for Type B and C. On a typical 400 square metre residential lot the direct GAIC hit is usually zero because most residential subdivisions clear the liability at the developer stage. But you can still inherit a deferred GAIC liability if the vendor deferred rather than paid. Ask for a current Certificate of No GAIC Liability before you sign the contract, and read it carefully.
Yes. Individual Precinct Structure Plans in Whittlesea come with a Development Contributions Plan or Infrastructure Contributions Plan attached, and these can add $8,000 to $22,000 per lot for local roads, community infrastructure and open space. The DCP hits the developer, who prices it into your land purchase, so you pay indirectly. On top of that, standard council planning permit fees, connection fees for water and power, and driveway crossover fees can add another $4,000 to $7,000 for a house-and-land package. Ask the developer for a full itemised cost breakdown before you commit.
Council building permits work through the Municipal Building Surveyor service on (03) 9217 2170, and they run to their own inspection schedule. In practice the process is similar to a private RBS, though council MBS fees are sometimes cheaper on straightforward single-dwelling jobs. The trade-off is booking availability: council inspectors are often two to three weeks out during peak growth-corridor construction, whereas a well-known private RBS can usually turn up next-day. Choose based on your builder's timeline rather than a small cost difference.
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