A panel, advisory committee or environment effects inquiry:
You can make your submission at a public hearing in person, or you may be represented by another person. Your submission can be made orally or in writing. We encourage submitters to provide a written submission so the panel, advisory committee or inquiry has an accurate record of your views.
You can also call experts to give evidence to the panel.
To make a submission at the hearing, you will need to make a request to be heard.
For information about how to present your submission at the hearing, see our guide to how public hearings work.
The panel or advisory committee may decide to treat two or more submissions referred to it as if they were one submission if the panel or advisory committee is satisfied that the submissions are the same or substantially the same (like submissions).
In this case, submitters may nominate one or more representatives to be the lead submitter(s) and advise the panel or advisory committee of their nomination. If a lead submitter(s) is not nominated, the panel or advisory committee may designate one or more lead submitters with their consent.
If a lead submitter is not nominated, and the panel is unable to designate a person as lead submitter because no one consents, the panel is not required to give like submitters the opportunity to be heard.
If you do not appear at the hearing, your written submission will be considered by the panel, unless you advise us and the planning authority that you want to withdraw your submission.
If you ask to be kept informed of the panel's process, but not appear, you may be provided with copies of some material prepared by other parties such as the proponent and planning authority, but not all the material the panel will receive.
If you have not made a written submission to the planning authority, you cannot not be heard.
The panel is not obliged to hear them, although it may choose to do so by exercising its power under section 161(1)(d) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to inform itself on any matter in any way it thinks fit.
It should not be assumed the panel will decide to exercise that discretion.
Generally, you can not make a submission or give new information after the hearing. You need to make sure you have covered everything that you want to present within your allotted time.
An exception will be made only where the panel has specifically given directions for submissions or information to be sent after the hearing.
For privacy reasons, we do not publish submissions online unless required to do so by terms of reference.
Contact the planning authority to inspect submissions on a planning scheme amendment.
Contact us to inspect submissions on an EES or a matter being considered by an advisory committee.
The panel has discretion about whether to hear from a submitter who has not completed a request to be heard within time.
The panel will need to consider the structure of its timetable, the length of time involved, the number of people wishing to be heard, the reasons for not responding earlier and whether it is fair to the other parties involved.
If you decide to withdraw your submission, advise the planning authority and the panel coordinator in writing as soon as possible.
All submissions received and all information provided at the hearing will be public documents.
Submissions are used by the panel to inform itself when making its recommendations to the planning authority or Minister for Planning.
As part of the hearing process and in accordance with natural justice principles, proponents and other parties may be provided with a copy of submissions so they can respond to them.
Read more about privacy.
For planning scheme amendments, panel reports are released publicly within 10 business days of being provided to the planning authority.
The planning authority make take longer to make a decision whether to adopt the amendment (and in what form). The amendment (if adopted) then has to be submitted to the Minister for Planning for approval.
If the Minister for Planning has decided to approve the amendment, notice will be published in the Government Gazette.
Subscribe to Planning Matters to receive updates about planning scheme amendments.
Advisory committee and EES inquiry reports are released publicly at the Minister’s discretion. They are often released at about the same time as the Minister’s decision.
Page last updated: 17/10/25