Priority Development Program
What is it?
Frankston City Council’s Priority Development Program (PDP) supports major planning permit applications that deliver high-quality development and create local jobs.
Through the PDP, eligible projects benefit from an accelerated assessment process designed to provide:
- Prioritised case management
- Clear, upfront advice
- A coordinated approach across departments
- Timely decisions within 16 weeks
With a vision set firmly on economic growth and transformative development, Frankston City Council has a clear view of the future.
Covering an area of 131 km2, Frankston City comprises of nine diverse suburbs, 11 kms of pristine coastline, 21,000+ hectares of open space (over 16 per cent of the total land area), and six distinct industrial precincts.
Frankston City's population is forecast to grow beyond 150,000 residents, with an aspirational target of 33,000 new homes by 2051, making it a desirable location for developers and business growth.
Check out this fly-through video to illustrate major development activity in Frankston’s city centre.
Eligibility – does your project qualify?
To qualify for the PDP, applications must meet all the following criteria:
Cost of development
The estimated cost of development of the land for:
- Accommodation uses (other than camping and caravan park, group accommodation and residential hotel and small second dwelling) must be at least $50 million.
- Commercial and industrial uses must be in accordance with Table 2 of Clause 53.22 (Significant Economic Development) of the Frankston Planning Scheme.
Referrals
- No statutory referrals are required; or
- If referrals are required, referral responses based on the latest plans must be provided at lodgement.
Applications requiring further referral cannot be considered under PDP.
Public Notice
The application must be exempt from public notice.
Cultural Heritage
No Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) required, unless an approved CHMP already exists and does not affect the proposal.
Restrictions
There are no covenants or restrictions on title that would prevent Council from issuing a permit.
Information
The application must contain all the information required to enable a complete assessment of the proposal.
The 16-week timeframe will not start until all the information has been provided.
Pre-application Advice
The applicant must participate in a pre-application advice meeting/s and be willing to address issues raised. This is a key condition to enter program to ensure the application assessment is not delayed with back-and-forth negotiation on merits matters.
Verification Period
A five (5) business day verification period applies before lodgement.
Applicants must submit:
- The full application
- A written statement demonstrating how pre-application feedback has been addressed
Council will then confirm if the proposal qualifies for the PDP.
Process – How does it get approved?
The Priority Development Program undertakes a five-step process before granting approval:
- Pre-application meeting
- Verification of Application
- Application lodged and further information requested
- Further information received and assessed
- Final assessment and Decision made
Step 1: Pre-application Meeting
The applicant submits draft plans to Council to seek feedback on the design response.
If the applicant wishes to be considered under the Priority Development Process, they must clearly identify this in their covering letter and upload that letter as an attachment when lodging their pre‑application request.
Council provides written feedback prior to meeting and the meeting itself serves as a workshop to develop solutions to any issues.
Applicants can lodge their pre-application requests via the following link: Planning permit application process - Frankston City Council
Step 2: Verification of Application
The applicant submits their complete application in accordance with Council’s Application Checklist.
The applicant is also required to provide a written statement to Council that demonstrates how the plans have been amended to address the issues raised at the pre-application meeting.
Based on this submission, Council will verify if the proposal will be treated as a priority development project.
Application Checklist – What do you need?
The following items are required to be submitted at lodgement with any application submitted for the PDP process:
- A Completed Priority Development Application Checklist Form:
Download(PDF, 1MB) the printable Priority Development Program information brochure, including a fillable application checklist.
- A written statement that demonstrates how the plans have been amended to address the issues raised at the pre-application meeting.
- A copy of any statutory referral response based on the most recent plans.
- An approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) (if applicable).
- Information, plans and reports based on the relevant application type:
- Requirements of any zone or overlay applicable to your site and any particular provision set out in Clause 52 of the Frankston Planning Scheme.
Disclaimer: Please note this checklist is for standard information required for lodgement. Additional information may be required after registration pursuant to S54 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
Step 3: Application Lodged and Further Information Requested
Once Council confirms the proposal qualifies for the Priority Development Program, applicants may proceed to formal lodgement via the relevant category link below:
Multi-Dwelling Development
Commercial / Industrial Development
Other Planning Applications
Amend an Existing Planning Permit
Council will then review the application.
If any elements of the application do not meet the requirements, Council will provide detailed feedback to the applicant, outlining the necessary changes or additional documentation needed.
Step 4: Further Information Received and Assessed
Once the further information is supplied, the documentation will be assessed. If information is outstanding and issues need to be addressed, written feedback will be provided to the applicant.
Once all the required information has been supplied the 16-week timeframe will commence
Additionally, if the application is substantially amended during application assessment the 16-week timeframe will restart.
Step 5: Final Assessment and Decision is Made
Council officers prepare a report and a decision is made.
For more information, contact our Planning Department on:
Phone: 1300 322 322
Email: info@frankston.vic.gov.au.