MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has raised concerns with the Victorian government over recent changes to planning permit rules. The shire is concerned how the changes will affect residents who received approvals under previous regulations.
The adjustments were introduced under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and establish standard timeframes requiring developments to begin within three years and be completed within five. The new changes also apply to any permits that were originally issued without a commencement deadline.
A shire spokesperson confirmed acting mayor Paul Pingiaro has written to the Victorian Planning Minister regarding the council’s concerns.
“The acting mayor has written to the Planning Minister seeking an urgent meeting to work through our concerns and seek consideration of an exemption or alternative treatment for affected permits,” the spokesperson said.
Pingiaro said the retrospective nature of the changes is creating uncertainty for current permit holders.
“Many residents received planning permits in good faith under a different set of rules,” Pingiaro said.
“Applying new timeframes to those approvals after the fact risks unfairly impacting people who have relied on those permits.”
Until recently, the legislation did not impose a commencement deadline which allowed some permits to remain valid indefinitely. The new rules mean longstanding approvals could lapse if works have not begun.
The council has formally requested existing permits without commencement dates be exempt from the updated requirements.
“At this stage, we have not received a response from the Minister, and the legislation remains in effect,” Pingiaro said.
The shire has contacted existing permit holders to let them know about the changes and offered support in understanding how the new regulations could impact individual circumstances.
“The current position places council in a difficult situation, where we are required to apply the changes in legislation, while also responding to legitimate community expectations of fairness and certainty,” the shire spokesperson said.
The shire did confirm that a software transition was implemented last year as part of an effort to improve resident experience and simplify internal processes which experienced some “teething issues”.
However, they emphasised that the transition and any resulting issues are unrelated to any planning permit changes or disruptions.
First published in the Mornington News – 5 May 2026
