Victorian Planning Permit Process
An SMP or SDA should be coordinated with the applicable council requirements, planning drawings and supporting sustainability evidence before the application documentation is finalised.
Preparing a Sustainability Management Plan or Sustainable Design Assessment is not simply a matter of adding an ESD report shortly before a planning application is submitted.
The report sits between the relevant council requirements, the proposed design, the planning drawings and any supporting assessments needed to substantiate the project’s sustainability commitments.
The exact pathway varies between councils and projects. The important question is not simply whether the application needs an SMP or SDA, but when the pathway should be confirmed, what evidence is required and how the report should be coordinated with the wider planning submission.
In Brief
Where an SMP or SDA Fits in the Process
Confirm the Pathway
Check the responsible council, applicable planning requirements and likely report type before the submission is finalised.
Coordinate the Evidence
Identify whether BESS, stormwater, WSUD or other technical information is needed to support particular commitments.
Align the Documents
Ensure the report, planning drawings and supporting assessments describe the same proposed development.
For a broader explanation of the two report types, their usual scope and the distinction between them, visit the SMP and SDA Knowledge Hub.
Step One
Confirm the Council Pathway Before Finalising the Design
The first step is to identify the planning and sustainability requirements applying to the property. This may involve reviewing the relevant planning scheme, local ESD policy, council application requirements and any correspondence already received from the responsible authority.
Development type, proposed uses, site conditions and project scale may all influence the required pathway. It is therefore important not to rely on one general dwelling or floor-area threshold across every Victorian municipality.
Early confirmation gives the project team time to identify the required report, supporting assessments and drawing commitments before the design becomes difficult to adjust.
Early Review
What Should Be Confirmed at the Beginning?
The responsible council
Applicable planning requirements
Whether an SDA or SMP is likely
Whether BESS is required
Required supporting evidence
Drawing annotation requirements
Leaving these questions until the planning set is substantially complete can make otherwise practical sustainability measures harder to incorporate.
Step Two
Determine the Required Reporting Pathway
Sustainable Design Assessment
A More Concise ESD Response
An SDA is generally used where the council requires documented sustainability measures but a more detailed Sustainability Management Plan is not required.
Sustainability Management Plan
A More Detailed Planning Report
An SMP commonly provides more extensive commitments, supporting information and coordination for a larger or more complex development.
Some projects may require BESS or other supporting evidence without a separate SMP or SDA. Others may require assessment results to be incorporated into the written report. The correct combination should be established from the council pathway rather than assumed from a general project threshold.
Step Three
Identify the Evidence Needed to Support the Report
Structured Assessment
BESS Assessment
BESS may provide a structured sustainability scorecard and assessment results for a Victorian planning application.
Explore BESS →
Treatment Evidence
Stormwater Assessment
A separate stormwater treatment assessment may be needed to substantiate water-quality or treatment commitments.
Explore Stormwater Assessment →
Site-Wide Water Response
WSUD Documentation
WSUD documentation may coordinate stormwater, landscape, water reuse and treatment measures across the site.
Explore WSUD →
Scope Boundary
An SMP or SDA Does Not Replace Specialist Assessment
The written report may reference assessment results, calculations or technical documentation where these are needed to substantiate a commitment.
Detailed energy, stormwater, drainage, daylight, thermal, acoustic, transport, waste or landscape work retains its own technical purpose. The SMP or SDA brings the relevant results into the coordinated planning response without replacing those specialist services.
Step Four
Coordinate the Report with the Planning Drawings
A sustainability commitment becomes difficult to rely upon when it cannot be found in the drawings, schedules or supporting documents. The written report and planning set should therefore be reviewed together.
Water systems
Confirm that rainwater tanks, reuse connections and treatment measures are shown consistently.
Transport measures
Check bicycle facilities, pedestrian access and electric vehicle commitments against the plans.
Shading and glazing
Ensure façade, shading and window assumptions align with the submitted architectural design.
Waste facilities
Identify the proposed waste storage, recycling and collection arrangements where relevant.
Landscape commitments
Coordinate canopy, permeable areas, planting and ecology measures with the landscape plan.
Drawing references
Check that drawing numbers, revisions and report references remain current and accurate.
Step Five
Review the Submission as One Coordinated Package
01
Confirm that the project description is consistent across every document.
02
Check dwelling numbers, floor areas, building uses and site information.
03
Ensure the report and assessments refer to the latest drawing revision.
04
Confirm that assessment inputs match the design being submitted.
05
Resolve inconsistencies between the report and other consultant documents.
06
Check that all council-requested sustainability information is included.
Step Six
Submit the Report with the Planning Application
The completed SMP or SDA forms part of the wider planning application documentation. It should be submitted with the relevant drawings, assessment reports and supporting evidence required by the council pathway.
Where BESS is used, the submitted report should reflect the version of the development shown in the current planning set. Referenced documents and plan revisions should also remain aligned.
An SMP or SDA supports council assessment by documenting the project’s sustainability response. It does not guarantee that a planning permit will be granted, as the application will also be assessed against other relevant planning considerations.
Step Seven
Respond to Council Questions and Design Changes
The responsible authority may request clarification, further evidence or changes to the proposed sustainability response after submission.
A request for further information may identify a commitment that is missing from the drawings, an incomplete assessment, inconsistent project information or an ESD requirement that needs a clearer response.
Where the design changes, the SMP, SDA and supporting assessments should be reviewed together. Updating one document without checking the others can create new inconsistencies.
Step Eight
Carry the Commitments into Later Documentation
Planning
Endorsed Plans
Retain sustainability measures that affect the approved building, landscape or site design.
Conditions
Permit Requirements
Respond to any conditions requiring measures to be retained, clarified or further documented.
Documentation
Detailed Design
Develop planning-stage commitments through specifications, schedules and consultant information.
Delivery
Implementation
Clarify who is responsible for procurement, installation, construction records or verification.
The SMP or SDA does not replace later compliance or detailed design work. It provides an early record of the sustainability measures included in the planning response and helps identify which commitments need to remain visible as the project progresses.
Application Review
An SMP and SDA Planning Checklist
01
Which council and planning requirements apply to the property?
02
Is an SDA, SMP, BESS assessment or combination of documents required?
03
Which sustainability commitments are being made?
04
Which commitments require separate supporting evidence?
05
Are the measures visible in the relevant planning drawings?
06
Do the report, drawings and assessments describe the same design?
07
Have the latest report and drawing revisions been used?
08
Who is responsible for carrying each commitment into later documentation?
Frequently Asked Questions
SMP and SDA Planning Process FAQs
When should an SMP or SDA be prepared?
The pathway should ideally be confirmed before the planning documentation is finalised. This allows relevant commitments, evidence and drawing requirements to be coordinated with the proposed design.
Can the report be prepared after the drawings are complete?
It can, but late preparation may identify sustainability measures or supporting evidence that require drawing revisions. Earlier review generally provides more opportunity to coordinate the response efficiently.
Is BESS the same as an SMP or SDA?
No. BESS is a structured planning-stage sustainability assessment. Its results may support an SMP or SDA, while the written report documents the wider project response and commitments.
What happens when the design changes after the report is prepared?
The report and relevant supporting assessments should be reviewed against the revised design. Updates may be required where the change affects assumptions, commitments or assessment results.
Does an SMP or SDA guarantee planning approval?
No. The report supports the sustainability component of the planning application. The responsible authority will also consider the other planning matters relevant to the proposal.
Related Guidance
Continue Exploring the Planning Pathway
SMP & SDA Project Review
Clarify the Planning-Stage Sustainability Pathway
Certified Energy can review the available plans, council requirements and project information to help identify the likely SMP, SDA, BESS and supporting documentation pathway.
Send Your Project Documents
