A Waste Management Plan (WMP) sets out how a development stores, separates and collects its waste. We prepare operational and construction WMPs for councils Australia-wide, with deep knowledge of Victorian requirements, and we resolve bin rooms and vehicle access while the drawings can still change.
Send us your plans and project address. We'll confirm the council requirements, scope and fee before you commit.
A Waste Management Plan (WMP) is a planning document that shows how a development will store, separate and collect waste and recycling over its life. It covers bin numbers and sizes, bin-room layout, collection vehicle access, collection frequency and how residents or tenants move waste to the bin room.
In Victoria, apartment developments must meet the waste and recycling standard in Clause 58.06-3 of the planning scheme, which refers to Sustainability Victoria's guide for waste management in multi-unit developments. Councils also commonly ask for a WMP for commercial, mixed-use and larger residential projects, often as a planning permit condition. The City of Melbourne publishes its own WMP guidelines.
Getting the WMP right early avoids a common trap: a plan the council waste officer rejects, followed by conditions, delays and revised drawings. Under Victoria's new recycling laws, households are moving to four separate waste streams: rubbish, mixed recycling, glass (by 2027) and food and garden organics (by 2030). So bin rooms need space for more streams than older plans allowed.
Usually required at planning permit stage for apartment, commercial and mixed-use developments. Covers bin storage, separate streams, collection vehicle access and how waste moves from each dwelling or tenancy to the bin room.
Covers the construction phase, often as a planning or building permit condition. Documents how site waste will be separated and diverted from landfill, and is common on Green Star and council-required projects.
You usually need a Waste Management Plan when council lists one as a planning permit condition. Some councils also ask for a Construction and Demolition WMP. Because WMPs are often the last item added to a scope, they can hold up a permit if left late. These are the situations we see most often on Melbourne and Victorian projects.
Planning permit condition — the most common trigger. Send us the permit conditions and drawings, and we'll confirm the council requirements and a delivery date before you commit.
Missed from the original scope — common, and fixable. We work from the planning or permit drawings, with no BIM files or separate briefing needed. If the bin room or truck access doesn't work, we tell you while the drawings can still change.
Rejected WMP — council waste officers have specific expectations, and they vary between councils. We review the refusal or RFI, identify what the waste team needs, and revise the plan and drawings markup to address it.
Mixed use — we structure the WMP to address residential and commercial waste separately, with separate bin rooms or clear allocation where needed, so council assessors can follow the logic.
Construction stage — a Construction and Demolition WMP can be set as a permit condition, separate from the operational WMP lodged at planning. We prepare them standalone or alongside the operational WMP.
Green Star projects — Green Star Buildings asks for more than a standard council submission, including dedicated storage for separated waste streams and construction waste diversion. We align the WMP with the Green Star credits and your council's requirements.
Yes. Requirements vary from council to council. The City of Melbourne publishes its own WMP guidelines, and many Victorian councils refer to Sustainability Victoria's multi-unit guide. We prepare each WMP to the relevant council's requirements as standard.
Early is better. WMPs have spatial implications: bin storage, vehicle access and turning paths need to be resolved in the drawings. Getting this right before lodgement avoids redesign later.
The state planning rules set the baseline and each council adds its own triggers. This table summarises what the planning scheme and a selection of councils publish. Your permit conditions always take precedence.
| Where | When a WMP is required or expected | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 58.06-3 | Apartment developments covered by Clause 58: waste and recycling facilities should be designed and managed in line with a WMP approved by the responsible authority (Standard D24). | Clause 58.06 |
| Victoria Planning Provisions, Clauses 55.05-5 and 57.05-2 | Two or more dwellings, and residential buildings up to six storeys: if the waste storage standard (B5-5 or E5-2) is not met, council must consider the design response, including a WMP. | Clause 55.05, Clause 57.05 |
| City of Melbourne | A WMP may be required with a planning permit application. Once endorsed it becomes part of the permit. Templates suit small developments; large developments need a detailed plan. | Council WMP page |
| City of Whitehorse | Developments of 3 or more dwellings, any development with a basement, and any commercial development. More than 5 dwellings or commercial: a comprehensive WMP at application. | Council WMP page |
| City of Darebin | Fewer than 10 units: council's template. 10 or more units, mixed use and non-residential: a professionally prepared WMP. | Waste Management Guidelines 2021 |
| City of Moonee Valley | Most developments of 4 or more dwellings need an approved WMP, often as a planning permit condition. | Council development waste page |
| City of Ballarat | 3 or more dwellings, all commercial developments, and sites where council's kerbside or communal collection cannot be provided. | WMP guidelines for multi-unit developments |
| City of Glen Eira | Residential development applications may need specialist reports, including on waste management. | Residential development page |
Checked against each source on 5 November 2026. Council requirements change, so check your permit conditions and council's current guidelines. Read the full council-by-council guide.
Your architectural drawings (PDF or DWG), the project address, and any permit conditions or council request for further information that mention waste. We take dwelling numbers, tenancy areas and site layout from the drawings and confirm anything else with you.
Email your architectural drawings (PDF is fine) and project address. We check the council's waste requirements and confirm scope.
You receive a fee proposal with a confirmed delivery date before any work starts.
We prepare the WMP to your council's requirements. Bin room, streams and vehicle access issues are flagged before they become permit conditions.
You receive a council-ready PDF for lodgement. If council comes back with questions, we respond and revise.
A Waste Management Plan (WMP) is a document, usually required by council with a planning permit application or as a permit condition, that sets out how a development will store, separate and collect waste and recycling. It covers bin numbers, bin-room layout, collection vehicle access and collection frequency.
An operational WMP covers waste once the building is occupied: bins, storage, collection access and recycling. A Construction & Demolition (C&D) WMP covers the build itself: how site waste is separated, reused or recycled and diverted from landfill. Some projects need both.
Apartment developments in Victoria must meet the waste and recycling standard in Clause 58.06-3 of the planning scheme, and councils commonly ask for a WMP for apartment, commercial and mixed-use projects. Check your permit conditions or council pre-application advice, or send us the address and plans and we'll confirm.
Some councils, including the City of Melbourne, publish WMP guidelines or templates. A template tells you what to cover. It doesn't size the bin room, check truck access or resolve the drawings. We follow the council's format and do the design work behind it.
In most cases, your architectural drawings (PDF or DWG) and the project address. We take dwelling numbers, tenancy areas and site layout from the drawings and confirm anything else with you.
It depends on the council. Some accept the WMP as part of a Sustainable Management Plan or ESD report; others require a standalone document. When Makao prepares both, we keep them consistent and format them for that council.
Yes. If the council's waste team raises questions or an RFI after lodgement, we respond and revise the plan so it can be endorsed.
Timeframes are confirmed at quote, and fast-track is available for urgent projects. If council has set a deadline for further information, tell us upfront.
Further reading: Waste Management Plans: A Developer's Guide and 10 Common Waste Streams in Australia
Each WMP follows the relevant council's guidelines, such as the City of Melbourne's WMP guidelines, not a generic template.
We size bin rooms and check collection access while the drawings can still change, not after a permit condition.
Bin rooms planned for rubbish, mixed recycling, glass and FOGO, in line with Victoria's four-stream rollout.
WMPs coordinated with your Sustainable Management Plan, ESD report and Green Star credits.
If council comes back with comments, we revise and respond.
Local knowledge of Victorian councils and their waste teams.
Reviewed by Kelvin Mureithi, Founder, Makao · Green Star Accredited Professional, ISAP, Engineers Australia member.
