Typical Subdivision Process in Victoria

The Process for subdividing a typical suburban block around Melbourne is :

Town Planning approval for the dwellings which will occupy the land followed by the building process (if you want to build) and then the land subdivision.

1. Town Planning Permit steps. The preliminary design is emailed to you for your review.

2. Finalise plans to prepare Town Planning drawings and report

3. Submit Application to Council. We can include an informal application to subdivide. Any informal subdivision approval by Council is an “in principle” consent.

4. You pay the Council application fee of around $1580 if the construction cost is less than $1.09m. We also purchase a recent copy of the title. Add around $700 application fee to apply for an informal subdivision consent.

5. The application goes through the process at Council where design changes may be required by the Council.

6. We make those changes at no additional fee.

7. Council advertises the Application.

8. Neighbours or anyone can object.

9. Objections are responded to by me, and any compromise design solutions are offered. Again no fees are paid for this service.

10. Permit issued which has conditions to be satisfied.

11. Building Permit steps. If you decide to build, we together with other consultants( engineers, energy consultant) prepare the drawings and documents for certification.

12. The drawings are sent to tender.

13. The builder starts construction only after the drawings are certified by a Building Surveyor.

14. Subdivision Registration Steps. If you decide not to build but want to subdivide the land so it can be sold- each with its title- then the process is:

15. A Land surveyor draws the formal subdivision plan for certification by Council and acceptable by the Titles office. Additional fees apply- around $6000 (TBC) includes surveyors fees and application fees to the authorities.

16. Each lot is connected to essential services ( sewer, water, electricity, gas etc)

17. On completion of the connections, Council issues a Certificate of Compliance.

18. This Certificate together with the formal subdivision plan is submitted to the Titles Office for Registration.

20. The Titles Office registers the titles and issues Legal Titles and legal subdivision plans. You can now legally sell and settle the sale of each lot.

The whole process can take upwards of 15 months. We can project manage this stage for an additional fee.

If you decide to build, the connections to services ( item 16) are done by the builder during construction.

Thereafter Steps 15 and 17-20 follow.

Informal Subdivision plan approved by Council. The approval had conditions like connection of services to each lot.