Don’t expect a swell in high-rise apartments any time soon in Dandenong, Noble Park and Springvale despite recent planning reforms, says Springvale North Ward councillor Sean O’Reilly.
Apartment towers up to 16 storeys could be allowed in central Springvale and up to 12 storeys in Noble Park CBD, under draft maps released by the State Government this month.
It’s part of a plan to boost housing density Melbourne and supply 300,000-plus new homes at 23 train and tram zone activity centres by 2051.
Across Greater Dandenong, the Government’s target is 52,500 new homes by the same year – which would roughly double the current housing stock.
Cr O’Reilly describes the target as “aspirational”, despite recent planning reforms.
“Economics is saying you can’t build. Investors don’t want to build at the moment.
“You can liberalise the planning processes all you want but until the economics aligns, you won’t see any big changes.
“The Victorian Government has to look at what it takes to build – whether it’s adjusting taxes or creating incentives.”
Under the draft plans, Springvale CBD height limits would rise to a nearly uniform 12-storeys – up from a mixture of eight, 10 and 12-storey sites.
Two sites would have 16-storey limits.
Residents are worried by the added traffic and parking congestion in central Springvale, Cr O’Reilly said.
But Cr O’Reilly is not so concerned, citing an apartment building at Warwick Avenue last decade making little impact on traffic.
“Residents, when they see these maps, might think these buildings will be going to shoot up overnight.
“Even these plans, any development would be happening over decades.”
Cr O’Reilly says higher-density living will be accepted, if people accepted they may not need to own a car in these locales.
“The game is going to change. Once there’s availability of driverless cars, including Ubers, that will reduce the price of Ubers substantially.
“The comparative costs of car ownership would mean it will be unattractive to own a car.”
In Dandenong, most of the height changes are happening just outside the CBD, including new eight-storey areas.
Some of Dandenong’s oldest neighbourhoods will be ‘inner catchments’ of four storeys – or six storeys on larger blocks.
Others deemed as ‘outer catchments’ such as near Yarraman station would allow up to three storeys.
Cleeland Ward councillor Rhonda Garad lamented that councils have little sway as the State Government “eroded” neighbourhood zones.
“It wipes out years of the council’s work in setting structure plans and height limits. Our residents seem to be greatly impacted but not greatly consulted.
“Most people agree we should have affordable housing near public transport. But apartments further from Melbourne CBD aren’t popular and aren’t selling.”
Dandenong Ward councillor Jim Memeti said the community supported high-rise in the CBD areas of Dandenong, Noble Park and Springvale first, but not yet in low-rise neighbourhoods.
“We support these developments as long as they are in the right areas. People about one-kilometre away (from the CBD) don’t want 10 storeys near them.
“I would support three storeys in those areas but not six to eight storeys.”
Cr Memeti agreed that high-rise developers have shied away from Greater Dandenong despite the Government’s $290 million Revitalising Central Dandenong project in 2006.
In recent years, the Government removed its 5 per cent development levy to encourage more private investment in Dandenong’s CBD.
In 2020, it announced private developer Capital Alliance would deliver a $600 million new Little India precinct, including 470 apartments.
But with demolitions works set to begin by mid-2026, Cr Memeti said he was skeptical if the Little India vision would be delivered.
“In six years they’ve delivered nothing.
“The problem is builders and developers haven’t been able to make money. They won’t build until it stacks up.”
