Sustainable Management Plan (SMP)
When is an SMP required?
An SMP is required for all larger developments, comprising of 10 or more residential dwellings or more than 1000m2 of non-residential Gross Floor Area (GFA).
What is an SMP?
An SMP is a detailed sustainability assessment of a proposed design at the planning stage. An SMP addresses the 10 Key Sustainable Building Categories and demonstrates that a holistic ESD review has been undertaken during a project’s early design stages. It identifies beneficial, easy to implement and best practice initiatives.
The nature of larger developments provides the opportunity for increased environmental benefits and the opportunity for major resource savings. Hence greater rigour in investigation is justified. It may be necessary to engage a sustainability consultant to prepare an SMP.
Addressing the 10 Key Sustainable Building Categories
If your application is a Large application, it is required to address 10 Key Sustainable Building Categories. More information about those categories is available here.
The categories are:
- Indoor Environment Quality
- Energy Efficiency
- Water Efficiency
- Stormwater Management
- Building Materials
- Transport
- Waste Management
- Urban Ecology
- Innovation
- Construction and Building Management
Submitting an SMP
An SMP should be prepared by a sustainability specialist and submitted as a separate report with your planning application. Ensure that all ESD initiatives addressed are clearly demonstrated and annotated on your architectural drawings.
Download SMP Reference
Yarra Council has developed this 
Sustainable Management Plan Reference (278.13kB) which aims to provide guidance on how to prepare an SMP Report.
The reference is also available in word format:
Sustainable Management Plan Reference (153.92kB)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about ESD in the planning process.
Further Information
Johanna Trickett
Environmental Sustainability Advisor
9205 5366
Johanna.Trickett@yarracity.vic.gov.au
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