SPEAR system has a point

Published on 16 December 2013

Developers or landowners wanting to subdivide land in Loddon Shire can now make use of a new tool.

Land Victoria, part of the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries, operates an online system known as SPEAR – Surveying and Planning through Electronic Applications and Referrals.

SPEAR is an Australian first, allowing subdivision applications to be compiled, lodged, managed, referred, approved and tracked online, any time.

It cuts down on cumbersome paperwork and is available at no cost to all parties involved, from applicants and responsible authorities such as councils to referral authorities and interested members of the public.

Council’s Manager Planning and Local Laws, Tyson Sutton, said the system allowed for the viewing of basic information about an application and the lodging and checking of objections.

“It’s essentially a way of managing the subdivision process much more efficiently,” Mr Sutton said.

“You lodge an application online and can then track it, look at any objections and see what other authorities are saying.

“If something is going on across the street from your house, you can log on to check the details as well.

“It saves time, is much more transparent and certainly more efficient.”

For all general enquiries about SPEAR, including how to register to become a user, phone 8636 3049.  For queries on how to lodge a SPEAR plan with Land Victoria, contact 8636 2062.

For further information on the system, go to www.spear.land.vic.gov.au/spear/pages/about/what-is-spear/overview.shtml