Revitalising Central Dandenong Amendment and Permit Processing Rules Shape Local Decision Timelines

The Revitalising Central Dandenong planning scheme amendment, approved in August 2024, establishes that major developments in the Declared Project Area fall under the Minister for Planning rather than the City of Greater Dandenong Council. This applies to buildings of four or more storeys, projects with 60 or more dwellings, or developments exceeding 10,000 square metres of floor area. Residents in central Dandenong therefore direct inquiries about these larger proposals to the state level for decisions.

State government changes effective November 2025 require all mandatory information at lodgement. Applications missing required data become void if the gap is not addressed within 10 business days. This rule directly influences how quickly any planning proposal, regardless of size, can enter the formal assessment stage and reach a determination.

Permit volumes and processing times recorded to date

Between 2024 and 2026, Dandenong received 151 planning permit applications. Of these, 121 were approved and none refused, producing a 100 percent approval rate among decided cases. The median time from lodgement to decision stands at 125 days. These figures provide the current baseline for how long residents can expect the process to take once an application meets all submission standards.

For residents, the 125-day median means that proposals affecting local housing supply, commercial space or community facilities typically reach outcomes within roughly four months after a complete file is submitted. Incomplete submissions now carry an automatic reset mechanism that extends this period further if information gaps are not resolved promptly.

Sequence of steps for central area projects

Following the August 2024 amendment approval, the documented next steps require securing a Development Plan Overlay and an approved Development Plan before Stage 1 permits can be sought. Major projects in the Declared Project Area therefore follow this sequence under ministerial authority, separate from standard council processing. Residents monitoring these projects can track progress through the published stages rather than individual permit lodgements.

The combination of the 125-day median processing time, the 10-business-day completeness window and the staged requirements for central developments sets the practical timeline residents encounter when outcomes affect daily conditions such as building activity, traffic patterns or available services. Applications that satisfy all current rules move forward on this schedule; those that do not are returned at the outset.