Last updated: 19 July 2026
Banyule stretches from established, leafy suburbs like Ivanhoe, Eaglemont and Heidelberg to the greener, hillier north around Montmorency, Eltham North and St Helena. The Yarra and Plenty River corridors bring Environmental Significance, Significant Landscape and inundation overlays, while Heidelberg and Ivanhoe carry significant heritage controls. Whether you’re renovating, doing a knockdown rebuild or building multiple dwellings, we can help make it happen.
AS Planning is an independent Town Planning Consultancy working in Banyule and surrounding areas, primarily assisting clients in obtaining Planning Permits through Council in the most efficient and timely manner possible. We work with a high volume of clients requiring a Planning Permit triggered from the various zones and overlays, including (but not limited to) the Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO), Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO), Heritage Overlay (HO) and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO) in the Banyule area.
Andrew Stubbings is the Director & Founder of AS Planning. He has years of experience within both the public and private Town Planning sector and has a solid understanding of Council’s end to end process. Andrew now works independently with home builders, developers, architects, investors and business owners.
AS Planning will ensure the strongest planning application is submitted to Banyule City Council on your behalf. The planning application addresses all relevant planning policies from the Banyule Planning Scheme and includes external consultants reports.
Contact us today about our Town Planning services in and around Bellfield, Briar Hill, Bundoora, Eaglemont, Eltham North, Greensborough, Heidelberg, Heidelberg Heights, Heidelberg West, Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe East, Lower Plenty, Macleod, Montmorency, Rosanna, St Helena, Viewbank, Watsonia, Watsonia North and Yallambie.
Banyule’s river corridors and established suburbs carry a mix of overlays, and which ones apply shapes your application:
Knowing which controls apply before you design can save significant time and cost. AS Planning can confirm your overlays, and where needed engage a professional Arborist and Landscape Architect on your behalf, including the Arborist Reports and Landscape Plans often required for SLO, SLO2 and ESO2 permits.
Andrew has a Bachelor of Applied Science – Planning. He is a strong communicator when it comes to community consultation, as well as engaging with project stakeholders and authority consultation.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in both private and public town planning, including working in local government. He has extensive knowledge of Council processes.
Support your planning permit application through surveys and assessments from our specialist partners, including expertise in Urban design, Landscape architecture, Flora and fauna, as well as Civil and traffic engineering.
FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my Banyule property?
Very likely. Banyule places a high priority on canopy protection, and many properties carry a Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO), Vegetation Protection Overlay (VPO) or Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO). Under these controls you generally need a planning permit to remove or prune a significant tree, and an arborist report is usually required to support the application.
What is an Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) in Banyule?
An ESO protects environmentally sensitive land, and in Banyule it applies widely along the Yarra and Plenty River corridors and surrounding bushland. If your property is affected, works such as building, vegetation removal or even extensions can trigger a planning permit, and Council will assess the ecological impact of your proposal.
Do I need a permit for a dual occupancy in Banyule?
Usually, yes. Much of Banyule is in the Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ), which applies mandatory garden-area requirements, height limits and neighbourhood-character controls to dual occupancy and multi-dwelling proposals. A town planner can check your zone, overlays and lot size to confirm what’s feasible before you design.
Can I renovate a heritage-listed home in Heidelberg or Ivanhoe?
Often you will need a permit. Parts of Banyule — particularly Heidelberg and Ivanhoe — are covered by a Heritage Overlay that protects the area’s historic character, including its links to the Heidelberg School artists. External alterations, demolition and new front fences generally require a planning permit that responds to Council’s heritage requirements.
How long does a planning permit application take in Banyule?
The statutory timeframe for a planning permit decision in Victoria is 60 days, but Banyule applications — especially those involving overlays, tree removal or public advertising to neighbours — can take several months. Engaging a town planning consultant to lodge a complete, policy-compliant application reduces Council requests for further information (RFIs) and avoids unnecessary delays.