by Cam Lucadou-Wells
More affordable housing and free public transport in central Dandenong are among the ideas for a thriving future Greater Dandenong.
In a submission to the state’s Plan for Victoria, the City of Greater Dandenong called for adequate numbers of affordable and social housing stock in large urban renewal projects, including a pilot 10 per cent mandatory target.
“This is currently voluntary and is not producing the outcomes needed to address the shortfall of social and affordable housing across the state,” a council report states.
For example, Greater Dandenong has called for 20 per cent of the proposed Sandown Racecourse redevelopment’s 7500 homes to be affordable.
Without mandatory targets, the Sandown proponents have offered 5 per cent.
As the second most disadvantaged council area in Victoria, Greater Dandenong should be a priority for affordable housing, the report states.
Affordable rentals for Centrelink recipients had plummeted in the council area from 83 per cent in 2001 to just 6 per cent in 2023.
“Plan for Victoria should include social and affordable housing as essential infrastructure – in the same way schools, hospitals, open space and roads are planned.”
The state’s draft target of 57,000 additional dwellings in Greater Dandenong by 2051 required more details – such as their locations, road, school, public transport, community service and hospital upgrades, and open space.
The council also called for mandatory tree canopy benchmarks for developments.
“Currently (tree canopy) is taking too long to grow and/or struggles to establish.”
“The previous figure of 30 per cent canopy coverage for the southern region is not aspirational and a target date of 2050 is too late.”
Greater Dandenong also wants a focus on development and access to the Dandenong South National Employment and Innovation Cluster.
Extending Glasscocks Road from Dandenong-Hastings Road to Frankston-Dandenong Road was “crucial”, according to the council.
The “limited” public transport options to the industrial and employment precincts as well as education and health services needed improvement.
The council report pointed out “poor historic planning” with Dandenong Hospital and TAFE about 2 kilometres from the railway station.
It recommended a free bus shuttle for central Dandenong, employment and education hubs, as well as a new train station in the industrial precinct between Dandenong and Lynbrook..
The council also submitted for focus on “revitalising” the Dandenong CBD as a “key employment hub” as well as a home to a university, a hospital, high-density housing and possibly vertical aged care.
Another idea for central Dandenong was a select-entry high school based on STEM and languages.
Overall, Greater Dandenong supported the Plan’s four pillars of affordable housing, jobs, liveable suburbs and sustainable environments but more details and “measurable actions” were required, it stated.
Submissions to the Plan for Victoria closes on 30 August 2024.
