The Coalition plans to fast-track housing in Melbourne’s inner and outer suburbs, but what does it mean for the middle – such as Dandenong, Springvale and Noble Park?
The Opposition has pledged to “protect the voice of local residents” as well as to scrap “Labor’s enforced planning controls in Springvale, Yarraman, Noble Park and Dandenong, and return planning decisions to residents and local communities”.
“A Liberal and Nationals Government will work with councils, including Greater Dandenong, to implement existing structure plans which in many cases propose a greater number of homes than would occur under Labor’s ‘activity centres’,” opposition planning spokesperson David Southwick said.
It seems that it prefers Greater Dandenong Council’s structure plans of 12-storey maximums (Springvale) and up to 6 storeys (Noble Park), rather than the 16-storey and 12-storey heights as part of the Government’s draft train-and-tram activity centres.
The Opposition didn’t directly respond to whether it would retain the Government target of 52,000 new homes in Greater Dandenong by 2051.
The point of these plans is to supposedly increase housing supply and affordability.
However, Associate Professor Trivess Moore, of RMIT’s school of property, construction and project management, said neither party’s plan would “radically change the dial”.
“They are more around the politics of housing …
“Regardless of whether you want to build in the CBD, outer suburbs or middle ring suburbs, it’s not going to see a difference in the number of houses constructed – because there’s not enough people in the industry to build them.”
He said he was “frustrated” that government policies didn’t address the slow supply chains, lack of construction workers and the cost of materials.
One idea was to divert construction workers from Big Build to housing project.
“We need to do something about productivity. The length of time to build a property is drifting out.
“We should look at ideas like modular housing that will deliver homes more quickly and of higher quality – which is important for issues of climate resilience and energy affordability.”
A State Government spokesperson said the Opposition plan “wants to hand housing supply back to council blockers which is how we got a housing crisis in the first place”.
The Coalition would cut the 23 train and tram zones – comprising 300,000 new homes by 2051 in middle suburbia, the Government claims.
“Labor’s train and tram zones cut through red tape to build more homes for young people where they want to live.
“Our changes have delivered more new homes than any state and have made Melbourne the most affordable capital city for young renters and buyers – progress that the Liberals now promise to unwind.”
Mr Southwick said the Coalition wanted “every Victorian to have the best opportunity to own their own home”.
“Under Labor, Victoria is building fewer homes now than a decade ago – meaning higher prices, higher rents and less choice.”
