Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP)
The Planning and Environment Act 1987, provides for the Minister to prepare a set of standard provisions for planning schemes called the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP).
What are the Victoria Planning Provisions?
The VPP is best considered as a state-wide reference document or template from which planning schemes are sourced and constructed. It is not a planning scheme and does not apply to any land.
It is a statutory device to ensure that consistent provisions for various matters are maintained across Victoria and that the construction and layout of planning schemes is always the same.
The VPP is a comprehensive set of standard planning provisions and provides a standard format for all Victorian planning schemes. It provides the framework, standard provisions and State planning policy. The planning authority (usually the municipal council) must provide the local planning policy content, including a Municipal Strategic Statement, and select the appropriate zones and overlays from the VPP, for inclusion in their planning scheme. The VPP also has references to a number of documents which are incorporated documents common to all planning schemes.
The suite of standard zones in the VPP has been designed to be flexible. This approach however reinforces the need for State and Local Policy Frameworks to provide clear guidance for decision makers and applicants alike. Councils must select zones and overlays only from the VPP.
Amendments to the VPP
Amendments to the VPP are made as required, to keep the VPP up to date and abreast with changes in policy and practice. The process for amending the VPP is generally the same as for a planning scheme, although there are some differences. Only the Minister or any other Minister, public authority or municipal council authorised by the Minister, may prepare an amendment to the VPP. Only the Minister for Planning can approve an amendment to the VPP.
An amendment to the provisions of the VPP will also amend specified planning schemes which include those provisions. When the VPP amendment is approved, the schemes are deemed to be amended at the same time.
The Minister, the responsible authority, each municipal council and any person whom the Minister specifies, must keep an up to date copy of the VPP available for public inspection during office hours.
View the 
Structure of a planning scheme diagram (PDF - 23 KB) or visit Planning schemes online.