19 March 2026

We’re introducing the Mid-Rise Code to make it faster, cheaper and easier to build good quality, medium-density homes in the places people want to live, close to transport, jobs and services.

The Mid-Rise Code introduces new planning controls for four to six storey apartments to make them more comfortable, liveable and sustainable.

The new Code will improve apartment design with:

  • Liveable, comfortable homes - minimum bedroom and living room sizes
  • Increased building setbacks - mitigate overshadowing and overlooking
  • Sunny and light homes - appropriate space between buildings
  • Private open space - well-sized balconies or gardens for each home
  • More trees and landscaping - 10-20% tree canopy cover to make streets greener and cooler and provide more green space for residents.

The Mid-Rise Code also removes the ‘wedding cake effect’ created by previous planning controls, where upper levels of a building have to be set back from lower levels. Removing this allows for simpler and more efficient building designs. This can improve energy efficiency, helping lower ongoing costs for residents.

For neighbours, new standards require trees around developments to enhance privacy, cool streets, and create greener, more liveable neighbourhoods with good communal open space.

Faster approvals for the right developments

The Mid-Rise Code will introduce the streamlined ‘deemed to comply’ planning pathway for compliant developments. This allows faster permits and greater certainty for mid-rise apartment buildings so long as they meet the new standards.

This builds on other updates to residential planning provisions we delivered in 2025, like the Townhouse and Low-Rise Code.

Under the deemed to comply pathway, because the Code already includes strong standards for design quality and street amenity, there will be no right of appeal process for planning applications that meet these standards. This will make planning assessment and decision making quicker and more certain while improving liveability, sustainability and amenity for residents and neighbours.

These changes amend clause 57 of the residential planning provisions, previously known as the Four Storey Apartment Standards. They will streamline planning assessments, support better design outcomes, and deliver improved liveability, sustainability, and tree planting for Victorian communities. The Mid-Rise Code will be operational from 16 April 2026.

Read the full new Mid-Rise Code provisions

See the full list of provisions at Amendment VC300.

Page last updated: 19/03/26