Yarra Ranges Council Online Services - Certificate of Compliance

Certificate of Compliance

Apply for a Certificate of Compliance for Existing Use Rights.

Last updated on: 05 September 2025

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Before you start
Fees
Information required
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Before you start

A certificate of compliance is a document issued by a responsible authority under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

This certificate verifies that:

An existing use or development complies with the planning scheme, or
A proposed use or development complies with the planning scheme.

The certificate states the facts as of the date it was issued. It is not a form of development approval. If a use or development complies with the planning scheme, you don't need a certificate to proceed. However, a certificate provides certainty in interpreting the scheme or establishing existing use rights that predate the scheme.

Section 97N

Under Section 97N you can apply to the responsible authority for:

A certificate stating that an existing use or development complies with the planning scheme (Form 14); or
A certificate stating that a proposed use or development would comply with the planning scheme (Form 15).

The certificate must be in the prescribed form and include the required information.

Fees

Information required

You must provide information that either:

Describes what you want to do with the land (for example, build a factory and use it for making milk cartons); or
Describes the existing use and development on the land.

Supporting documentation that you will need to provide includes:

Site plan required for all applications.
Detailed description/summary of land use required for all applications.
Supporting documents proof of existing use rights.

Documents you may include:

Property documentation: Lease agreements, rates notice/s (if the land description or valuation information contains relevant detail), property sale documents.
Financial documentation: Tax Returns, bills, invoices, purchase orders etc relating to purchase of materials, deliveries or related services.
Other relevant documentation: Newspaper articles, proof of membership of organisations, any other documents you believe to be relevant to your application.
Statutory Declaration/s: From former residents, landowners or business operator etc, suppliers, customers, neighbours or other relevant parties.
Photographs and business advertisements: Photos must be dated or accompanied with a Statutory Declaration to certify the date/s; advertisements can include site signage and/or printed advertising materials.

If you attach a plan please include:

The boundaries of the land and their measurements
The street it faces
The nearest intersection street and the distance from this street
The name of all streets on the plan
The direction of North
The scale of the plan

Lodge now

You will need to register or sign in to start your lodgement.

If you had an account in our previous online services portal (before August 2025) your login details will not work in the new system.

You will need to register and create a new account.

Do you need help?

You can also visit one of our community links or call us on 1300 368 333.

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Application fee	Amount
Lodgement of certificate of compliance	$369.80