The Victorian Housing Statement: build more homes, and they’ll be more affordable. Here is the TOP priority action list of the Victorian Government.

Today, the Victorian Government released its Housing Statement as the first step to kick off the critical work asap to build the homes, suburbs and communities.

The Victorian Government is setting a bold target to build 800,000 homes in Victoria over the next decade, with a list of key priorities identified below, along with our high-level thoughts and suggestions. The Victorian Housing Statement can be accessed here.

Summary

The key changes being introduced can be summarised as follows:

• It has identified “Prioritising Precincts” including East Werribee, Sunshine, Footscray, Fishermans Bend, Docklands, Arden, Parkville and Richmond which are expected to deliver 150,000 dwellings
• Changes to planning controls to increase housing in 10 activity centres
• Rezoning “surplus government land” across 45 sites in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria
• Expanding Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program for the Minister to fast track Significant Residential Development and Significant Economic Development (VC242)
• The expansion of permit exemptions, including for second homes of under 60m2 on the same lot (granny flats), as well as extensions to sheds and carports
• The expansion of Future Homes (Amendment VC243);
• The introduction of a range of “deemed to comply” residential standards (see Amendment VC243);
• Changes to the types of housing requiring a permit (Amendment VC243)

Other Initiatives

1. Employing an additional 90 town planners at the Department of Transport and Planning to deliver the priority projects.
2. Introducing legislative reforms to strengthen our planning system. The legislation will implement Red Tape Commissioner recommendations, as well as other reforms like giving VCAT the power to dismiss matters without a prospect of success and imposing time limits on submissions. Planning Panels will also be able to undertake hearings on the papers and join parties.
3. Delivering faster water connections in greenfield areas

Small – Medium Housing Development

1. Fast tracking applications for a range of new Deemed to Comply residential standards for different types of homes, and Council will only assess aspects of a permit that don’t comply with those standards. – this initiative reminds me of the Moreland Planning Scheme Amendment C190 – which fast tracked specifically designed two-townhouse developments within its Moreland City Council area in 2020, by establishing a much more straight forward planning assessment process (through the VicSmart local provisions – a 10 days assessment timeframe). We published a blog about this Moreland C190 here.
2. Fast track and apply DA exemption to build a small second home (less than 60sqm in size) –  also known as granny flats or dwelling garden units.

Medium – Large Housing Development & Commercial Development

1. Encouraging the Minister for Planning to call in “qualified” projects to clear the backlog of 1,400 housing permit applications (at least 6 months old and decisions keep lagging). Further consideration will need to be given on how to quickly and satisfactorily address the community concerns. Often this community consultation process delays the assessment, regardless of who – the Victorian Government or local council – is responsible for assessing a permit application.
2. Expanding Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program for the Minister for Planning to fast track “significant” residential developments and new build-to-rent projects (set criteria: construction costs worth at least $50 million in Melbourne or $15 million in regional Victoria and delivering at least 10 per cent affordable housing). A new Clause 53.23 has been introduced into the Planning Scheme. This may mean further funding in the affordable and social housing sector – with a good knowledge and connections in this sector, we are expecting some further funding announcement.
3. Introduced Clause 53.22 – Significant Economic Development for specific uses that will contribute to Victoria’s economy and provide substantial public benefit. To qualify, proposals must meet minimum development costs for regional and metropolitan Melbourne.
4. Introduced Clause 53.24 – Future Homes to fast-track apartment approvals in the General Residential Zone where designs are chosen from one of four design templates. Proposals must meet location criteria and design standards and Council CEOs are responsible for considering and determining application eligibility.
5. Introducing clear planning controls to deliver an additional 60,000 homes around an initial 10 activity centres across Melbourne: Broadmeadows, Camberwell Junction, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie (Keilor Road), North Essendon, Preston (High Street) and Ringwood. We note the Plan Melbourne 2017-50 identifies a number of existing Metropolitan Activity Centre (MAC) – Sunshine, Footscray, Broadmeadows, Epping, Box Hill, Ringwood, Dandenong, Fountain Gate – Narre Warren and Frankston along with future MACs – Toolern and Lockerbie. Some of the recently identified initial 10 activities centres are overlapped with the Metropolitan Activity Centre (MACs) identified in Plan Melbourne 2017-50. The latter identifies a number of existing Metropolitan Activity Centre (MAC) – Sunshine, Footscray, Broadmeadows, Epping, Box Hill, Ringwood, Dandenong, Fountain Gate – Narre Warren and Frankston along with future MACs – Toolern and Lockerbie.
6. Converting currently under-used 80 commercial office buildings into around 10,000-12,000 apartments and mixed-use properties. We believe that such a conversion with adaptive reuse requires special design skills to address matters such as airflow, natural light and plumbing. This isn’t easy.