Zoning and Overlays

Every property in our municipality is zoned for specific purposes and land zones are standard across Victoria.

This means that Business Zone 1 is the same here as it is in Bendigo, Melbourne or Mildura.

Sections in the document will help you understand the scheme. The most important are:

• The State Planning Policy Framework
  This includes issues of state importance when decisions are made.
• Local Planning Policy Framework
  This includes long-term directions about land use and development in our municipality. It also provides the reasoning for the zone and overlay requirements and particular provisions in the scheme.
• Zones
  Each zone sets out the requirements that must be met.
• Overlays
  Each overlay details additional requirements that must be met.
• Particular provisions
  Shows requirements for specific uses and developments.
• General Provisions
  Provides information on the management of the planning scheme and other matters.

Zones

The Swan Hill Planning Scheme zones land for certain uses. Each zone has its own purpose and set of requirements.
Zones in the Swan Hill Planning Scheme include:

It is this zoning information that decides if a planning permit is needed. It’s also what Council must consider when it comes to approving a planning permit.
A zone sets out land use controls in three sections:

• Section 1: Land uses that do not need a planning permit.
• Section 2: Land uses that need a planning permit.
• Section 3: Banned uses. Some uses are not allowed on land in a zone because they may clash with other uses. For example, an industry in a Residential 1 Zone.

Overlays

Overlays apply to a piece of land with a special feature. This could be a heritage building, important vegetation or a flood risk.

For example, a Heritage Overlay, applies to historical sites of natural or cultural importance. The overlay details the requirements that apply.

Not all land has an overlay. However, some land can have more than one overlay.

The overlay information will also show if a planning permit is needed for a development or for changes to the land.

Properties might also have overlays in addition to their zone such as:

You must consider the zone and overlays when buying or developing a property. These are very important to the development and use of your land.
The zoning on your property may change. The process to change a zone is done with all affected property owners. Once approved, the Swan Hill Planning Scheme maps are amended