Are You Planning to Buy or Develop in Dinner Plain?
Dinner Plain,
An Alpine Masterpiece
Officially opened in 1986, Dinner Plain is Australia’s only freehold land above the snowline. This freehold allowed for the development of the entire village to be planned and designed in the vision of the original developers, Dinner Plain Pty Ltd and their architect, Peter McIntyre.
Peter McIntyre's design of the Village features buildings architecturally inspired by the characteristics of the old cattlemen's huts. Peter McIntyre went on to receive the Zelman Cowan Award for non-residential architecture in 1987 in recognition of the distinctive architectural design and planning of the village.
Original Dinner Plain Map
Development in Dinner Plain
Most land in Dinner Plain is the beneficiary of a Covenant, a rule of obligation placed on a property title that an owner must abide by, that Dinner Plain Pty Ltd governs. All land also falls under the Alpine Planning Scheme, which is governed by Council.
Properties that are the beneficiary of a Covenant must apply to Dinner Plain Pty Ltd, and then apply to Council.
The Covenant
To find out if there is a covenant on your property, please refer to your certificate of title.
The Covenants from Dinner Plain Pty Ltd or M.H.S.C DP Pty Ltd generally require written approval:
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Before a building is constructed to a lock-up stage
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For the siting of any buildings on land
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For alterations, extensions or rebuilds
At the time of the Dinner Plain’s creation, the architectural style was embedded in covenants over much of the site, ensuring the future development of this village will continue to reflect this distinctive and unique alpine style, which Dinner Plain is renowned for.
IS THERE A COVENANT ON YOUR PROPERTY?
Yes – Contact Dinner Plain Pty Ltd at admin@dinnerplain.org the earliest opportunity to discuss your design ideas for the site and whether these will be supported. Dinner Plain Pty Ltd will need to provide you with a letter of support and stamped plans.
No – Consider the design guidelines and how they can be incorporated into any design response for the site. You may wish to contact Council’s Planning Department for a pre-application meeting at this time.
DO YOU HAVE COVENANT APPROVAL FROM DINNER PLAIN PTY LTD?
Yes - Apply for planning approval with a letter of support provided by Dinner Plain Pty Ltd. It is noted that applications with consent granted can be expedited through the planning process.
Any application without support will not be considered by Council. Contact Dinner Plain Pty Ltd at admin@dinnerplain.org at the earliest opportunity to discuss your design ideas for the site and whether your design ideas will be supported. Once approved by Dinner Plain Pty Ltd, Dinner Plain Pty Ltd will provide you with a letter of support and stamped plans.
The Alpine Planning Scheme
Dinner Plain is located in the Special Use Zone – Schedule 1.
The Zone includes direction for intended land use for the land and a specific Development code at Clause 8.0, that describes the intended design outcome for the land. The control is a written interpretation of the architectural and land use vision for Dinner Plain.
In particular, the Development code is seeking to protect the following architectural characteristics of Dinner Plain:
Architectural Characteristics of Dinner Plain
To gain approval from both Dinner Plain Pty Ltd and Council, the following stylistic choices need to be taken into consideration;
Entrance
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Single-storey porticos framed by low roofs (to provide a human scale to the entry spaces)
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Stone entry porticos supported by timber columns reducing overall height and length of walls
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Recessed, single-entry garage doors to ensure they are not dominant elements.
Facade
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Projecting rooms, creating a sense of depth and relief.
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Front elevation has an intimate scale,
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Detail to gable roof ends, intimate entry porches, stonewalling, irregular timber columns, and intricate timber fretwork detail around the eave line.
Windows
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Irregular placement of windows to emphasise nooks and crannies (lofts) to add charm and variety.
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Small-scale windows are used in most houses, and irregular windows and attention to detail enhance the character and visual intrigue of the dwelling.
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Highlight windows and small window openings.
Roof Lines
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Sweeping rooflines, chimney articulation
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Have varying roof profiles.
Materials
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Using a mix of wall materials, including:
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Timber,
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Stone
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Small elements of Colorbond® - Limited range of approved colours to blend harmoniously with the snow gums.
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Small elements of glass.
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External Colours
The following colour palette sets out the approved colours for external painting and cladding throughout the village.
It is important that your preliminary application to Dinner Plain Pty Ltd. identifies your preferred colour palette from the selection below.
Please note: If you are repainting your existing building at Dinner Plain, you must select from the palette of colours below; otherwise, the restrictive covenant on your title will most likely be in breach.
Harmony with the Landscape
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Building external balconies around existing trees extends the interior of the house outside and integrates the architecture with the natural environment.
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The retention of the trees in most developments allows the housing stock to merge into the landscape.
The Alpine Shire
The Alpine Shire issued the following letter to all landowners and occupiers in Dinner Plain on the 22nd of April 2024. The correspondents from the shire provide a very succinct summary of the restrictive covenants/planning process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will designing a dwelling in accordance with the guidelines make it more expensive?
It is important to discuss your idea for a dwelling with Council and Dinner Plain Pty Ltd at your earliest opportunity to ensure that any proposal for the site is in accordance with the overall vision for the Village. There are components of the design guidelines that may introduce additional costs into development; however, understanding what these are prior to designing your home should ensure you are able to achieve an acceptable outcome.
It is expected that applications supported by Dinner Plain Pty Ltd will be ‘fast-tracked’ through the assessment process.
How do I design my alpine property to comply with the design guidelines in the Special Use Zone – Schedule 1 and meet more recent regulatory requirements, such as planning for bushfire and native vegetation removal?
Council intends to update the planning controls to reflect more recent information and requirements in relation to bushfire planning and native vegetation removal. Updating the planning controls is a process that takes 18 – 24 months to complete.
In the interim, Council will adopt a sensible approach that balances the current regulations with the intended vision for Dinner Plain. This may include requirements for different building materials or siting of development to mitigate vegetation loss.
Why doesn’t Council just assess applications on behalf of Dinner Plain Pty Ltd?
Over the past 10 years, there has been an understanding that Council could consider the appropriateness of applications at Dinner Plain without approval from Dinner Plain Pty Ltd. Covenants are a separate legal mechanism that run with the title of property and are implemented outside of the planning system. A planning permit cannot be granted where it may be contrary to any covenants registered on the title.
There is no existing mechanism to avoid this requirement.
In closing, the Dinner Plain community, Dinner Plain Pty Ltd and the Alpine Shire all recognise the unique nature of the village. The restrictive covenants, in concert with the Alpine Shire’s planning scheme, have enabled the architectural integrity and cohesiveness of design to be a sort after market attribute, which has no peer in planning/development anywhere else in Australia. The unique architecture is the cornerstone of the success of the Dinner Plain village. The architectural and planning integrity will continue to be governed by the restrictive covenants and the Alpine Shire planning process to produce alpine buildings that fit within the Dinner Plain architectural vernacular.
What if I don’t have a Covenant?
The Special Use Zone is clear in its intent, and Council’s planning department will assess the application against the design guidelines provided therein.