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Series VPRS 8345
Appeal Files (Planning) [Sample Only Retained]
About this Series Related Series Accessing the records in this Series
Date Range: Series 1981 - 1989
  Series in Custody 1983 - 1988
  Contents 1983 - 1988
Public Access: Open
Location: North Melbourne
Format of Records: Physical
 
Agency which created this SeriesAgency which created this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1981 - 1987 Planning Appeals Board VA 1408
1987 - 1989 Administrative Appeals Tribunal VA 2659
Agency currently responsible for this SeriesAgency currently responsible for this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1987 - 1998 Administrative Appeals Tribunal VA 2659
1998 - cont Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal VA 4146
Description of this SeriesDescription of this Series
  • How to use the Records
    To gain access to particular files in this series researchers will need to know the file or appeal number. An index to appeal files by municipality was created, see VPRS 8348 for a description of that index.

    Note : Researchers should note that approximately 40% of files from this series have been destroyed in accordance with PROS 91/10. In addition, all files for 1981 and 1982 are believed to have been destroyed. See the text below for
    details.

  • Function / Content
    Background and Legislation
    The files in this series were created by VA 1408 Planning Appeals Board (PAB), from December 1981 to August 1987, and the Planning Division of VA 2659 Administrative Appeals Tribunal from August 1987 to December 1988. The files are those created to record the process and result of appeals against, and applications relating to, decisions made by a variety of bodies in planning matters.

    The PAB was created by the Planning Appeals Board Act 1980 (No.9512) which came into operation on 1 December 1981. The PAB assumed the jurisdiction of several former authorities, which Act 9512 specified as:

    - the Town Planning Appeals Tribunal (VA 598),
    - the Environment Protection Appeal Board,
    - any arbitrator appointed under section 569 AA(1A) of the Local Government Act 1958,
    - the Drainage Tribunal,
    - the Health Commission of Victoria established under the Health Commission Act 1977 in exercising its jurisdiction under section 95 of the Health Act 1958,
    - the Minister administering the Port Phillip Authority Act 1966 in exercising his jurisdiction under section 9 of that Act.

    Records of the Town Planning Appeals Tribunal have been transferred into archival custody in VPRS 3153 Town Planning Appeal Files, which is a previous series to this series. Some files in that series, especially those created late in 1981, relate to appeals that may have been heard by the PAB after December 1981.

    The Planning Appeals (Amendment) Act (No.9 of 1987) created the Planning Division of the AAT. From 1 August 1987 the PAB ceased to exist and all of its functions current at that time were assumed by the Planning Division of the AAT. The Planning Division continued to create appeal files in the sequence of annual single number file numbers commenced by the PAB at the beginning of 1987.

    With the creation of the Planning Division, the AAT acquired a third Division, the other two being the General and Taxation Divisions. Appeal files created by the Taxation and General Divisions were created in a sequence separate to the Planning Division appeal files. The records were physically stored separately and separate control records were created.

    In July 1989, AAT began to use the Courtlink Case Management computer system to manage its records. Using the Courtlink system, file numbers were generated for appeal files created by all Divisions of the AAT in a single sequence, rather than in a sequence for Planning Appeal files and a separate sequences for General and Taxation appeal files. In anticipation of the link to the Courtlink system, the AAT commenced the single file number sequence from the beginning of 1989. This series is therefore determined to have ended in 1988. The subsequent series to this series is VPRS 8347 Appeal Files [Sample Only Retained] which contains the appeal files created by AAT from 1 January 1989.

    The end series date of this series has been artificially extended to allow a previous/subsequent relationship to be entered on the database.

    Control Records
    A personal computer (PC) based file registration system (known as "the Webster system") was employed until July 1989 by the Planning Division and, possibly, by the PAB earlier. All data from that system has been lost and no hard copy indexes or other control records were apparently generated from that system. A card index, known as "the green card index", was, however, also maintained. The card index has been registered as VPRS 8348 Card Index to Appeal Files, Planning.

    A register of appeals in volume format was maintained initially by the Town Planning Appeals Tribunal and continued by the PAB and the Planning division until July 1989. These registers have been registered as VPRS 8376. They register every planning appeal file created from 1969 to July 1989. Entries in the registers were arranged sequentially by appeal number.

    From July 1989 the green card index was discontinued. From that date the Courtlink system provided access to appeal files for AAT staff. An annual hard copy (paper or microfiche) index to all files is to be generated from the system each year to be transferred to archival custody (see VPRS 8375 Index to Appeal Files [Computer Output Hard Copy].

    The Permanent Sample
    In 1991 the Records Disposal Schedule for Records of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal was issued by the Keeper of Public Records as Public Record Office Standard (PROS) 91/10. In accordance with that disposal schedule all classes of records identified as temporary by the schedule were segregated and either marked for destruction or destroyed prior to the transfer of the permanent material into archival custody. PROS 91/10 identifies temporary Planning Division files as:

    - refused appeal files,
    - files relating to appeals heard where the Tribunal determines not to issue an order or declaration,
    - withdrawn applications,
    - files not otherwise classified.

    The schedule identifies permanent records of the Planning Division as being: all files documenting appeals and claims heard by the Planning Division in relation to:
    - drainage matters,
    - all granted or amended appeal files,
    - an annual random sample of 5 files per 1000 files identified as temporary.

    In addition, the Disposal Schedule did not sentence appeal files where the cases were appealed to the Supreme Court.

    The P1 consignment contains sample files from 1988.

    In preparing the P2 consignment of this series for transfer (which contains PAB and Planning Division appeal files from 1983 to 1987) only the drainage files and granted or amended appeal files were retained. The Schedule was fully implemented for records created from 1988 onwards. At some time prior to the Schedule being issued, all files for the period 1981 to 1982 are believed to have been destroyed by the agency.

    File Contents
    A file was created for each appeal or application. The file may have included original applications, documentation relating to the decision being appealed, reports, recommendations, correspondence, copies of relevant permits, conditions and refusals, appeal documentation including (occasionally) transcripts of proceedings, copies of relevant determinations.

  • Recordkeeping System
    Files in this series were arranged in an annual single number sequence. Because there were a variety of appeal and application types heard by the Planning Division of the AAT, an alphabetical prefix to file numbers was also used to readily identify the file type. The prefixes included the following:

    (B) Referred from Ministry of Planning and Environment,
    (C) Drainage Claim - an appeal or application for compensation for land effected by a drainage scheme or decision,
    (D) Drainage - appeals against drainage schemes,
    (E) Appeals against Environment Protection Authority decisions,
    (L) Appeals against street schemes,
    (P) Appeals against Planning schemes and decisions,
    (Q) Quarries,
    (R) Appeals against Alpine Resorts Commission decisions.

    The alphabetical prefix was placed before the year component of the number in the format, for example, D85/1234.

    P3 Consignment
    This consignment contain files which should have been transferred as part of the P1 and P2 consignments but were not located until after the transfer of these consignments to archival custody was completed.

More research resourcesMore research resources
Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
Display entries per page
Date Range Series Title Series Number
1981 - 1988 Card Index to Appeal Files, Planning VPRS 8348
1981 - 1988 Register of Planning Appeals VPRS 8376
Controlled SeriesControlled Series
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Date Range Series Title Series Number
Previous SeriesPrevious Series
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Transfer Date Series Title Series Number
- 1981 Town Planning Appeals Files [Sample Only Retained] VPRS 4068
Subsequent SeriesSubsequent Series
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Transfer Date Series Title Series Number
- 1989 Appeal Files [Sample Only Retained] VPRS 8347
List/s of records in this seriesList/s of records in this series
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Consignment Number Contents Date Range Public Access No. of Units
P0001 1988 - 1988 Open 277
P0002 1983 - 1987 Open 624
P0003 1985 - 1988 Open 11
Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
Display entries per page
Date Range Series Title Series Number
1981 - 1988 Card Index to Appeal Files, Planning VPRS 8348
1981 - 1988 Register of Planning Appeals VPRS 8376
More research resourcesMore research resources

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