Housing Statement Reform

Published October 2025

Parts 9, 10 and 12 of the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Act 2025 (Vic) (‘CPLA Act’) has now come into effect as of 15 October 2025.

The CPLA Act includes ‘Amendments in relation to certain proceedings before VCAT’.

These amendments allow us to:

  • Provide reasons in the form of a summary of the key basis for the decision, if the Tribunal affirms or varies a decision-makers' decision.
  • Treat two or more objectors as a group, if their statements rely on similar grounds or raise similar issues.  In that situation, the Tribunal can appoint one or more of those objectors as a representative of the group, with that person's consent.
  • Actively manage proceedings through various measures including:
    • Conducting all or part of a proceeding entirely on the basis of documents.
    • Imposing a time limit on a party for making submissions.
    • Prohibiting or limiting cross-examination of a witness at a hearing.
    • Fixing timetables for hearings.
    • Using appropriate dispute resolution.
    • Giving directions to ensure that a proceeding is conducted promptly and efficiently.
    • Identifying at an early stage the issues involved in a proceeding.
    • Striking out or dismissing all or any part of the proceeding that in the Tribunal's opinion lacks substantive or objective merit and has no real prospect of success.
    • Confining the proceeding to particular matters in dispute.

We are currently reviewing VCAT processes to integrate these active management approaches.

Updates will be provided in due course.

Parties should, however, anticipate that processes and procedures in accordance with the provisions of the CPLA Act may be utilised in applications lodged after the CPLA Act commences.