Amendment VC315 was gazetted on 24 September, introducing a series of changes to Victoria’s residential planning provisions aimed at improving clarity, consistency and environmental performance.

The amendment refines the Single Home Code (Clause 54), Townhouse and Low-Rise Code (Clause 55), Mid-Rise Code (Clause 57) and canopy-tree requirements (Clause 52.37), building on the deemed-to-comply assessment pathways introduced through earlier amendments.

Key changes include:

• Clarifying the application of residential standards under Clauses 54, 55 and 57, including explicit references to “new” buildings and walls where standards apply only to new development.
• Refining tree canopy requirements under Standards A2-6, B2-7 and E2-6 across Clauses 54, 55 and 57.
• Reinstatement of the requirement in the decision guidelines of Clauses 55 and 57 to consider Section 173 Agreements. This had been removed by previous amendments associated with the introduction of deemed to comply provisions.
• Replacing the STORM tool with the Blue Factor tool, which will now be applied through Clause 53.24 and the residential standards.
• Updates to Clause 52.37 (Canopy trees) to include Precinct Structure Plans in the exemption table, and distinguish between noxious weeds and environmental weeds.
• Introducing a new definition of “deep-soil” at Clause 73.01.

 
Associated transitional provisions have also been applied to relevant residential zones and to Clauses 52.37 and 53.24.

For practitioners, these changes provide further clarification around the application of residential standards and introduce updated approaches to canopy, stormwater and deep-soil requirements.