VCAT stands for Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and this is the place where people who have objections or appeals on permit planning applications send them in Victoria, Australia. If you have applied for a permit and been rejected by the council or town planning, Logan, for example, you have a period where you can appeal that decision to VCAT. This is who reviews council decisions and sometimes the decision is upheld and sometimes not.

What is a VCAT appeal?

When someone sends an appeal to VCAT that then becomes an application for review. You do not have to have legal representation when making use of VCAT but many objectors and applicants opt to have a lawyer with them or to represent them, and some have the town planner, Logan or where they are, to help in the presentation and preparation of their appeal. Sometimes there are complex issues and having someone with the legal understanding and the knowledge of town planning can help people better express their case, and in some cases, it adds a level of support to it.

Before the main hearing, those that are objecting or appealing are invited and encouraged to come to a VCAT mediation meeting. There would be a VCAT member at that session who would explore the concerns and issues in the hope that some kind of mediation can be achieved so that a full hearing can be avoided, as that would save the expense that comes with a full hearing.

What to expect

If you are a permit applicant who had their application refused by town planning Logan, or elsewhere in Victoria, you have a certain period within which you can appeal that decision with VCAT. If they rule in your favour you will then get the permit you require and can commence the work you wanted to begin. If you are objecting to someone's application because of the negative impact it would have on you, and the council still grants the permit, the objector has a period of 21 days to take it VCAT. Often you would need the help of a town planner Logan or where it is happening to help with the submission.