Development Approval Process

Mt Hotham Resort Management acts as the Crown's representative for leasing and other land management functions including planning. The Victorian Minister for Planning is the Responsible and Planning Authority for Mt Hotham.

Planning at Mt Hotham is governed by the Alpine Resorts Planning Scheme. This scheme outlines the framework under which the Resort Management ensures that the protection and management of significant environmental features and ecosystems can be balanced with the sustainable use and development of alpine resorts.

All planning permit requests must first be submitted to the Resort Management, and our role is to assess the request and then provide a referral for approval to the Alpine Planning Unit, who makes decisions on all planning permit requests for Mt Hotham. The Resort Management does not have the power under our governing legislation to provide planning approval.

Almost all building work and vegetation removal requires a permit. It also requires landlord approval from the Resort Management.

Discuss your proposed development with the Resort Management

Your application to Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) for a planning permit must include the following information:

• A completed planning permit application form
• The prescribed fee
• A copy of the site's lease plan
• A detailed description of the proposal
• A full set of dimensioned & scaled plans, preferably 1:100 and A3 in size (five copies)
• A schedule of colours & materials
• A Preliminary Geotechnical Report (in accordance with Schedule 1 to the Erosion Management Overlay) and declaration form (if applicable)
• A complete Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP)
• A Planning Report demonstrating how the proposal is consistent with the policies, zones, overlays and relevant particular provisions of the Alpine Resort's Planning Scheme
• An assessment against the native vegetation (if applicable)
• An assessment against the Bushfire Management Overlay (if applicable)

The Resort Management's Property Team can help you prepare your planning permit application for submission to Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). Please contact us to make a time to speak to one of our team.

Check the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for your site.

Almost all development land at Mt Hotham is in one of four Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) areas.

1. Hotham Village (CDP1)
2. Inter Urban Break (CDP2)
3. Davenport Great Alpine Road Frontage (CDP3)
4. Davenport Oversnow (CDP4)

The CDPs are part of the Alpine Resorts Planning Scheme and give guidelines about what can be built. The Scheme defines public use, public park, recreation, road and comprehensive development zones, as well as environmental significance and heritage overlays within the Resort. 

Apply for a Planning Permit with the DELWP Alpine Planning Unit

The Alpine Planning Unit will coordinate submission of the planning permit request to the Minister for Planning, and will advise the applicant of the outcome.

We encourage applicants to book a pre-application meeting with the Alpine Planning Unit to enable the early identification of potential problems and a smoother approval process. The approval process involves mandatory referral authorities such as the Department of Transport and Planning, Water Authorities, Catchment Management Authorities, Country Fire Authority, SP AusNet and Alpine Resort Management Boards. These referral authorities comment on issues such as native vegetation, geotechnical matters, the provision of services and so on, and have the power to place conditions on planning permits or object to planning permit applications

Applications must be sent to:

Department of Transport and Planning
Level 8, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002

P/ 1800 789 386
E/ development.approvals@delwp.vic.gov.au

Building approval

Once you have landlord approval and a planning permit, you will need building approval for the details of construction work. For information on organising a building permit, please see our Building Permits page.

Relevant information and definitions

Capital Ingoings

Capital Ingoings is a once off fee levied on all new building construction, renovations, extensions or other works that result in an increase of Fully Enclosed Covered Area (FECA) of a property. The fee is used to fund existing infrastructure to maintain and replace it over its existing useful life.

Headworks Charges is a once off fee levied on new infrastructure required to be built to service and enable connection to RMB’s reticulated networks as a result of increased capacity on new developments within the resort.

Rates start from $145 per square metre of FECA.  Refer to the Capital Ingoings & Headworks Policy here.

Fully Enclosed Covered Area (FECA) Definition

The sum of all such areas at all building floor levels, including basements (except unexcavated portions), floored roof spaces and attics, garages, penthouses, enclosed porches and attached enclosed covered ways alongside buildings, equipment rooms, lift shafts, vertical ducts, staircases and any other fully enclosed spaces and useable areas of the building, computed by measuring from the normal inside face of exterior walls but ignoring any projections such as plinths, columns, piers and the like which project from the normal inside face of exterior walls.

It shall not include open courts, light wells, connecting or isolated covered ways and net open areas of upper portions of rooms, lobbies, halls, Interstitial spaces and the like which extend through the storey being computed.

Note: The definition of exterior walls in multi-tenanted buildings is to include the building as a whole, not the sum of the individual apartments.

Unit of measurement

Square Metres (m²)

Bushfire Management Overlay

Any application to construct a building or carry out works must be accompanied by a letter form the CFA stating that, in its view, the RMB has implemented satisfactory emergency management arrangements aimed at prioritising the protection of human life. The modified requirements then provide that construction of works must be one of the following:

1. BAL-40 construction in accordance with AS3959.
2. Determined by a fire safety engineer that the building will be capable of withstanding an equivalent level of predicted bushfire attack and levels of exposure. (The definition of fire safety engineer under the Building Regulations means a registered building practitioner in the category of engineer, class of fire safety engineer.)
3. Determined using an alternative methodology to the satisfaction of the relevant fire authority.

Buildings must also be provided with defendable space to the satisfaction of the CFA.

Related pages

Additional Information for Planning Permits

Building Permits

Alpine Leases and Sub Leases

Emergency Management

Strategies and Plans