Cardinia Shire councillors have voted to amend the planning scheme to promote environmentally sustainable development.
The council is one of 28 in the state to seek ministerial approval of the changes and to incorporate them into a new planning scheme for the shire.
If approved the amendment will ensure certain developments meet best practice environmental standards from design to construction.
Mayor Jack Kowarzik said the new policy would apply to new residential and non-residential planning applications but not to single dwellings, outbuildings or subdivisions.
It gives legal weight to what was previously a voluntary approach, he said.
Cr Kowarzik said council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and in 2021 joined the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment.
The amendment aligns with several council-adopted documents shaped by community input and council's vision for a sustainable built environment in Cardinia including a commitment to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, he stated.
Cr Kowarzik said any increases to development costs were uncertain because each project was unique and that any delays in processing permit applications would not be significant.