Reflections Six Months into the Great Design Fast Track Program
Six months into Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track (GDFT) Program, it is becoming increasingly clear that the initiative represents more than just a faster planning pathway. At its best, GDFT is reshaping how planning, design, and sustainability intersect — rewarding clarity of intent, design excellence, and genuinely integrated Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD).
When GIW Environmental Solutions first engaged with the program, our ambition was deliberate and considered: to help shape a process where sustainability is not treated as a compliance exercise at the end of design, but as the foundation upon which great design is built.
Six months on, that ambition is translating into real outcomes.
A Milestone for the Program
We are proud to share that our client JMSN has been awarded the first permit issued under the Great Design Fast Track Program by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP), for the Rae Street project. As the inaugural approval under this pathway, the permit represents an important milestone — not just for the project team, but for the program itself.
Beyond this achievement, as at January 2026, GIW is currently supporting twelve further live GDFT applications before DTP. Collectively, these projects demonstrate that when ESD is embedded early and meaningfully, it strengthens design quality, improves approval certainty, and creates better long-term outcomes for occupants and communities.
Throughout this process, the consistent and constructive support from the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) has been invaluable. Their engagement has reinforced a critical message: sustainability and great design are not competing objectives — they are inseparable.
From Framework to Practice
One of the clearest lessons emerging from the GDFT process is the importance of a strong and coherent project narrative.
The most successful proposals articulate, from the outset:
- why the project exists
- who it is designed to serve
- how sustainability supports its intent
When this narrative is clear, it becomes the project’s compass. Design decisions align more easily, consultant teams work with greater clarity, and ESD shifts from being an overlay to becoming the central thread connecting performance, purpose, and place.
While the GDFT principles must each be addressed, success is not achieved by mechanically responding to individual criteria. Instead, the strongest outcomes are those where the proposal feels genuine, grounded, and human — evoking a sense of place, home, warmth, and community.
Across the projects we are seeing progress through the program, the most compelling designs consistently prioritise shared spaces, outdoor amenity, liveability, and long-term comfort. This is what great design looks like when ESD leads the process rather than following it.
Key Lessons from the First Six Months
As the program has matured, several consistent lessons have emerged:
Start with strategy, not scores
High-level ESD strategy should be established early, using targeted modelling to inform key design decisions. Formalised energy ratings are most effective once the design is stable, ensuring effort is focused where it adds genuine value and avoiding unnecessary rework.
Treat 70% BESS Excellence as the practical benchmark
While not formally mandated, this level has effectively become the baseline expectation. All mandatory BESS credits must still be achieved, and proposals that exceed minimum performance are clearly rewarded.
A pragmatic, outcome-focused assessment approach is emerging
DTP has demonstrated a welcome focus on well-reasoned, well-engineered solutions rather than rigid interpretation. This has created a more consistent and predictable assessment environment than is sometimes experienced at the local government level.
Team quality and credibility matter
Reputation carries weight. Teams that come prepared, collaborate openly, and demonstrate quality thinking are finding that both DTP and OVGA are responsive and supportive.
Departures from BADS require robust justification
Alternative solutions can be supported, but only where backed by credible modelling and a clear, defensible rationale. Unsupported departures risk delay and increased scrutiny.
Good design and affordability can co-exist
By streamlining approvals and reducing reliance on costly legal processes, expert reports, VCAT hearings, and prolonged delays, more resources can remain within the project — improving housing quality and affordability without compromising outcomes.
Clarity and technical competency are critical
As the program scales, consistent communication of expectations will be essential. While qualitative design thinking is central to GDFT, it must remain anchored to measurable ESD outcomes to maintain confidence, consistency, and integrity over the long term.
The program is not for everyone
GDFT requires a modern development mindset. It best suits proponents with the right reputation, values, and willingness to rethink traditional feasibility strategies. The process rewards those prepared to invest in quality early — you have to give to get.
Why We’re Sharing This
We are sharing these reflections not simply to celebrate a milestone, but to contribute to the collective learning of the industry.
For the Great Design Fast Track Program to succeed at scale, it requires transparency, shared knowledge, and honest discussion about what is working, where expectations are landing, and how high-quality outcomes are being achieved. This is not about shortcuts — it is about lifting the baseline for design quality, sustainability performance, and approval certainty across Victoria.
Looking Ahead
At GIW Environmental Solutions, we remain committed to supporting good proponents, strong design teams, and sustainability outcomes that are both measurable and meaningful. We will continue to share insights, work astutely behind the scenes, and advocate for processes that strengthen the built environment as a whole.
If you are considering the Great Design Fast Track Program, or would like an informed and pragmatic assessment of whether it is the right pathway for your project, we welcome the conversation.
Contact us Here.