Building permits, forms and applications

Hoardings and barricades are usually required to be installed around building sites, both to protect the public and to secure the site when unattended.

The Victorian Government requires owners of all swimming pool and spas to register them with Council and have them inspected regularly.

Find out more

Register your compliance certificate

The owner of a property can use this form to request a search and copy of one full building permit documentation, or a single document from a permit such as:

• architectural plans
• structural plans
• soil report
• building permit
• occupancy permit.

Request for search and copy of building documents

Important information before submitting your request:

• The fee payable relates to the search and copy of one (1) building permit only. Please specify which building permit you require on the form, eg. original dwelling, 2005 extension, 2011 renovation, swimming pool, re-stumping etc. If you do require a search and copy of multiple permits additional fees may be payable. 
• Please note it is unlikely these plans will contain information relating to drainage, sewerage, plumbing or electrical plans specifically for your site. If you are searching for sewerage information please contact Barwon Water
• If the plans do happen to show a dotted line referencing a stormwater system, the plumber who installed the system is not likely to have installed it in the location/s referenced on the plans (with exception of the LPOD connection point) as this is a guide only.

The only information Council can provide regarding stormwater systems on private allotments is:

1. The location of any Council drainage infrastructure, usually within an easement OR
2. The location of the legal point of discharge (LPOD) for where the private drainage line is required to connect to. Please refer to our Council Engineering Drainage page.

The community infrastructure levy goes towards works such as meeting spaces, community buildings, kindergartens and library services.

The maximum amount payable is $1,530 per dwelling.

Community infrastructure levy form

Map of community infrastructure levy charges in Torquay and Jan Juc(PDF, 3MB)

Map of community infrastructure levy charges in Winchelsea(PDF, 589KB)

A landowner who intends to build

• a single dwelling on a lot affected by the Development Contributions Plan Overlay where the lot was approved after 1 August 2013; or

• more than one dwelling on any lot affected by the Development Contributions Plan Overlay; or

• a single dwelling or more than one dwelling on a lot affected by a section 173 agreement

is responsible for payment of the Community Infrastructure Levy prior to the issue of a building permit.

Any person may request the following information about a property, under Regulation 51 of the Building Regulations:

• Details of any building permits or certificates of final inspection issued in the preceding 10 years.

• Information about the property’s susceptibility to flooding.

• Whether buildings in the area are likely to be subject to attack by termites.

• Whether a property has a bush fire attack level (BAL) specified.

Building property information request

An easement is a section of land that Council (or other nominated agencies or authorities) has a right to access, usually because it supports essential services like

• stormwater drainage
• sewerage
• power infrastructure.

If we can't access an easement we can't do maintenance work.

If an easement is blocked, the flow of stormwater through flow paths might also be blocked. 

Because of this we don't allow habitable structures to be built over an easement, but we may allow certain temporary, removable or lightweight structures.

If you are unable to modify your plans so that easements are clear, submit this form to see whether the proposed development qualifies for approval.

Building over an easement application

If you are planning on holding an event (either on public or private land), you may require a permit for a Place of Public Entertainment (PoPE).

These permits ensure the event complies with all safety requirements, such as exits, fire safety and public amenities.

Where an event does not require a permit, compliance with building legislation, council event requirements and any other relevant legislation must still be met.

Occupancy permit for Place of Public Entertainment (PoPE)

Public entertainment is defined as an entertainment or meeting to which admission may be gained by members of the public. A Place of Public Entertainment (PoPE) is defined as an area greater than 500m2 that's used for public entertainment and is either:

• enclosed or substantially enclosed, or
• to which admission is gained by giving of money or other consideration.

Exemptions are in place for community-based organisations. Please contact the Building Department to discuss if this is applicable to you.

If you are a private building surveyor, you can use this form to upload building permit related documents such as: 

• Notification - section 80
• Building permit - lodgement, amendments, further information, extension of time requests
• Finalisation - Certificate of final inspection, occupancy permit, cancellation of building permit
• Enforcement - orders, notices, withdrawals

You can also use the form to provide a link to your Building Permit Management platform (such as PermAssist or PermitPro).

Private Building Surveyor Lodgement

If you are the owner/builder/agent, you will need to find a private building surveyor. Any building surveyor registered in Victoria can provide this service, but here are some local private building surveyors.