Victorian Planning Preparation Guide
A well-prepared BESS assessment begins with the correct project scope, current planning drawings and clear evidence for the sustainability commitments entered into the tool.
Preparing for a BESS assessment involves more than collecting a set of architectural plans. The information entered into BESS must describe the same development shown in the planning documentation, and each claimed credit should be supported by an identifiable drawing reference, schedule, calculation or technical report.
Common problems arise when project areas are entered incorrectly, sustainability measures are nominated before they are documented, or supporting reports relate to an earlier design revision. These inconsistencies may not be apparent from the overall BESS score alone.
This guide focuses on preparing the project information and evidence needed for a credible assessment. For the complete explanation of planning context, assessment scope, scoring and report structure, see the BESS Knowledge Hub.
In Brief
Confirmed Scope
Confirm the council requirement, development type and whether BESS Buildings or BESS Subdivisions applies.
Current Documentation
Use the latest planning drawings, schedules and project information rather than superseded design assumptions.
Traceable Evidence
Every claimed measure should be supported by a drawing reference, document, calculation or defined project commitment.
Preparation is therefore less about maximising the score at the outset and more about ensuring that the assessment is correctly scoped, internally consistent and supported by information the project can deliver.
Assessment Scope
BESS requirements can vary between Victorian councils and project types. Council correspondence, planning checklists, local ESD guidance and any request for further information should be reviewed before the assessment scope is fixed.
The review should establish whether the project requires a BESS report and whether a separate Sustainable Design Assessment or Sustainability Management Plan is also expected. A BESS report can support these documents, but it does not automatically replace the written ESD response required by council.
The project team should also confirm whether the application includes proposed buildings or only subdivision works. BESS Buildings applies where buildings or dwellings form part of the development application. BESS Subdivisions is a separate pathway for eligible residential subdivision proposals prepared before on-lot development.
Planning Documentation
A BESS report provides a standardised assessment output showing project inputs, applicable credits, evidence requirements and assessment results. An SDA or SMP performs a different function by presenting the wider project-specific ESD response in written form.
Where both are required, the commitments described in the SDA or SMP should align with the BESS report, planning drawings and supporting technical evidence.
Project Information
Planning Set
Current site plans, floor plans, elevations and sections showing the development form, areas, uses and measures relied upon by the assessment.
Site Information
Landscape plans, planting information, permeable areas, bicycle facilities, waste areas, rainwater infrastructure and other relevant site commitments.
Project Profiles
Confirmed site area, building footprints, floor areas, dwelling numbers, bedrooms, non-residential uses and other data needed to configure the project.
Building Commitments
Available information about construction, glazing, energy systems, appliances, water fixtures, renewable energy and other specified measures.
Technical Evidence
Preliminary or completed technical results required by the applicable credits, together with clear document names and page references.
Planning Direction
Any council checklist, pre-application advice, permit condition or request for further information affecting the assessment scope.
Project Configuration
The buildings, dwellings and non-residential spaces entered into BESS determine which pathways, questions and credits are presented. An incorrect profile can therefore affect more than the descriptive project information.
Typical setup errors include entering the wrong floor area, omitting a non-residential use, assigning dwellings to the wrong building or using information from an earlier planning set. Mixed-use and multi-building developments require particular care because different credits may apply to different parts of the project.
The project profile should be checked against the architectural area schedule before detailed credit responses are completed.
Evidence Preparation
BESS distinguishes between measures that should be shown on the planning drawings and evidence provided through separate supporting documentation. The required items change according to the project information and credits claimed.
Drawing references should identify where the commitment can be found rather than simply referring to the complete architectural set. A reviewer should be able to locate the relevant tank, bicycle space, landscape area, renewable-energy system or other measure without interpreting an unrelated part of the design.
Supporting reports should use the same project address, design revision and underlying assumptions as the BESS assessment. Page references are particularly useful for longer technical reports and schedules.
The purpose is not to upload every available document. It is to provide the evidence required for the applicable responses in a form that is clear, relevant and traceable.
Separate Technical Inputs
BESS records assessment responses and results, but it does not perform every calculation needed to substantiate them. Depending on the project and credits pursued, separate technical work may be required.
Applicable operational-energy responses may rely on a separate NatHERS assessment. The BESS report does not replace the residential thermal model or certificate.
Integrated water management responses may require a separate stormwater treatment assessment, MUSIC model or another method accepted by council.
Where the project requires a broader site strategy, separate WSUD documentation may coordinate runoff, treatment, reuse, permeability and landscape measures.
Some projects may require daylight, ventilation, energy, landscape, waste or other specialist information where it is directly relevant to an applicable credit.
Submission Readiness
Confirm the correct pathway. Check the council requirement, application type and whether BESS Buildings or BESS Subdivisions applies.
Verify the project profile. Compare site, building, dwelling and non-residential information with the current planning set.
Review every applicable credit. Identify unanswered items, mandatory credits and minimum category requirements rather than relying only on the overall score.
Check the drawing evidence. Ensure each nominated measure is visible and referenced on the submitted project documentation.
Check supporting reports. Confirm that technical assessments use the correct address, design revision, project areas and assumptions.
Align the submission documents. The BESS report, SDA or SMP, drawings and schedules should describe the same commitments.
Finalise the correct report version. Preview the complete report and ensure the version submitted to council corresponds with the final planning package.
Common Submission Issues
The assessment reflects an earlier layout, area schedule or development mix rather than the plans being lodged.
Floor areas, building uses, dwelling data or project types are entered incorrectly, changing which credits apply.
A favourable response is selected before the measure is documented or the required technical evidence is available.
The evidence refers only to the architectural set without identifying the drawing or location where the measure is shown.
The project percentage is acceptable, but an applicable mandatory credit or minimum category requirement remains unmet.
The report is prepared without checking whether council also requires an SDA, SMP or separate technical assessment.
Assessment Quality
BESS Buildings requires more than an acceptable overall percentage. Applicable minimum category scores and mandatory credits must also be achieved.
Even where these thresholds are met, the responses still need to be supported by credible project information. Adding optional measures to increase the percentage does not correct an inaccurate project profile, missing mandatory evidence or commitments that do not appear in the planning documents.
The preferred result is a compliant, evidence-based assessment that reflects measures the project team can document and carry into the proposed development.
Revision Control
Relevant design changes should trigger a review of the BESS assessment. Changes to floor areas, dwelling numbers, building uses, landscaping, water systems, renewable energy, bicycle facilities or other nominated measures can alter the project inputs, applicable credits or supporting evidence.
The assessment should not simply retain an earlier favourable response where the supporting measure has been reduced, relocated or removed. Technical reports may also need updating where their catchments, building geometry or underlying assumptions have changed.
For BESS Buildings, a published project version becomes read-only. Where changes are required, the working assessment can be updated and published as a new revision so that the report submitted to council corresponds with the revised documentation.
Assessment Pathway
The principles of accurate project information, current documentation and traceable evidence apply to both pathways. The actual inputs and report structure differ.
BESS Buildings is configured around buildings, dwellings, non-residential spaces, credits and supporting evidence. BESS Subdivisions assesses subdivision-scale design standards and produces a document checklist aligned with the plans and strategies used in a subdivision application.
The project pathway should therefore be confirmed before documents are commissioned or the assessment is started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Provide the current planning drawings, project address, site and floor-area information, development uses, landscape information, available services and fixture commitments, council correspondence and any relevant technical assessment results.
Do all documents need to be complete before BESS begins?Not necessarily. A preliminary assessment can help identify missing inputs and supporting work. However, assumptions used during early review should be confirmed and replaced with project evidence before the report is finalised for submission.
Does BESS need NatHERS results?Some residential projects may rely on NatHERS results for applicable operational-energy credits. NatHERS remains a separate residential energy-performance assessment and is not required for every BESS project.
Does BESS need a stormwater assessment?Integrated water management credits may require a separate stormwater result or other accepted evidence. The relevant method depends on the project and council requirements.
Can a BESS report be prepared before an SDA or SMP?The documents can be developed in parallel, but their project commitments should remain aligned. The preferred sequence depends on the council requirement, design stage and technical information available.
Should BESS be updated when the plans change?Yes, where the change affects project profiles, quantities, evidence or nominated sustainability measures. The BESS report submitted to council should describe the same development as the accompanying drawings and technical documents.
Does a passing BESS score guarantee council approval?No. BESS is one component of the planning documentation. Council may still review the evidence, request clarification or consider other planning matters outside the BESS assessment.
Related Guidance
BESS Project Review
Send the available planning drawings, council correspondence and existing technical information for an initial review. Certified Energy can clarify the assessment pathway, identify missing inputs and prepare the BESS assessment against the current project documentation.
Send Your Project Documents