More on this topic is covered in articles in the post titled Speakers Corner – Planning policies and regulations. Click here to read those articles.
Concerns over the Blackburn Activity Centre planning changes
Figure 3: Box Hill Structure Plan Area and Planning Area. Page 12 SRL East Draft Structure Plan – Box Hill; annotations added
Kieran Simpson
The State Government planned Blackburn Activity Centre sits in the Cootamundra Ward of Whitehorse Council. Since being elected in October 2024 as the Ward Councillor, I have met with residents and community groups to discuss their views on the upcoming changes. Residents, Whitehorse Council and myself are all concerned about the impact to tree canopy from planning changes.
Blackburn is special in that it has the Bellbird Area which was classified by the National Trust in the 1970s and retains a rural ambience in which the streetscape is dominated by vegetation, particularly trees. The area has a significant landscape overlay in the SLO-1 which has strict development limits and vegetation protection.
In my discussions with the government, including the local state member, I have personally advocated for the government to retain overlays such as the SLO-1 and SLO-2. This is to preserve the uniqueness of Blackburn and our local environment. With the government renewing the SLO-9 I am hopeful that we might see other overlays preserved.
When the draft plans for the Activity Centre are released, myself and Whitehorse Council will form a response, and I encourage all residents to participate in the consultation phases.
Residents are also welcome to contact me directly if they want. Until the draft plans are released, any claims about what are in the plans is speculation – even by me. I am disappointed that some residents have been given false information and contact me scared that they are going to lose their homes.
When I door-knocked residents living near Laburnum Village, many people shared with me their concerns about being in the SRL Box Hill Planning Area (the orange shared area on the diagram). Given the terrain in that area, I can understand frustration from residents that increasing housing density south of the train line, and east of Middleborough Road within the SRL Box Hill planning area doesn’t make a lot of sense and would have negative impacts on the local area and the village feel. It’s quite hilly so there would have to be significant earthworks to build higher density dwellings.
Earlier this year, I personally made a submission to the SRL Draft Structure Plans consultation process. In it, I outlined the reasons why I believe that area should be removed from the SRL Planning Area. I have received an invitation to register to speak to the Planning Panel later this year. I hope that it will result in an opportunity to represent the local residents’ views in person.
I attend the Blackburn Station Craft Market every month. Residents are welcome to come speak to me (and buy a couple of sausages). For regular updates my community newsletter will be going into letterboxes and residents can also follow me on Facebook via @crkieransimpson
Planning Mechanisms for Social and Affordable Housing – a missed opportunity to correct market failure
Julie Mulhauser
The essential importance of housing as the foundation for a good life was highlighted in a recent statement by the Chief Executive of the Victorian Council of Social Services, Juanita Pope. She said, ‘Strong, sustained investment in growing public housing and community housing should be the number one infrastructure priority for this state. It’s the key to solving our housing crisis and other big societal challenges’.
Victoria has the lowest share of public and community (social) housing in Australia. As a result of decades of underinvestment by governments, Victoria has just 3.1% share of households compared to a national average of 4.5%.
There are currently around 54,000 households on the waiting list for public and community housing. In 2023-24, the average wait for priority housing (households fleeing domestic violence, at risk of homelessness or homeless) was 20 months.
A recent report by SGS Planning & Economics found that the Victorian government needs to build 7,990 new pubic and community homes every year the next 10 years just to catch up with the rest of the nation. The Big Housing Build, commenced in 2020, will eventually provide only 12,000 public and community homes.
Infrastructure Victoria has recommended that Victorian governments build new public and community homes. They emphasise that the most cost-effective way to build these new public and community homes is to use existing government-owned land.
These points were taken up by several submitters to the Legislative Assembly Select Committee Inquiry into Planning Provisions Amendments in May 2025. Andrew Butt from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute saw the approach taken to activity centres and precincts as a ’missed opportunity to address housing affordability in Victoria’.
Michael Fotheringham of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute said, ‘I think it is worth noting that housing affordability is not going to be fixed by one measure or even one set of measures…. We need to be doing a whole lot of things, and inclusionary zoning could easily be in that mix.’
The Planning Institute of Australia, Victoria Division (PIA) submission stated ‘…of key concern to PIA is the absence in the reforms of any mandated requirement for the provision of Social and Affordable homes – meaning that development facilitated by these amendments is likely to remain out of reach for those who need it most’.
In its report, the Legislative Assembly Select Committee noted that, ‘Little convincing evidence was advanced to the Inquiry that the State Government’s announced planning changes will guarantee additional housing, and no substantive evidence was advanced that the Government’s plan would with certainty provide additional affordable housing’.
Recent planning scheme amendments assume that increasing supply will reduce house prices to rent or purchase. The Select Committee received considerable evidence that there was no confidence that the amendments would increase supply – let alone supply of homes affordable to very low- and low-income households.
The Select Committee report contains a number of recommendations that could contribute to solving Victoria’s housing crisis. The majority report recommended the publication of modelling of the impact of planning scheme amendments to demonstrate how the they will impact on housing supply and affordability.
The Greens minority report recommended the implementation of mandatory inclusionary zoning provisions with appropriate settings to deliver a substantial increase in affordable and public housing for developments affected by planning scheme amendments. It also recommended the establishment of a public builder to facilitate the delivery of more public and affordable housing.
Blackburn Station – Activity Centre Update
Paul Hamer, MP for Box Hill
Blackburn Station has been identified as one of 60 activity centres across Melbourne to be included in the Government’s Activity Centre Program. The program aims to provide for much-needed new homes close to public transport, jobs and services.
While the provision of additional housing in appropriate locations is important, any planning changes must recognise the unique environmental values that attract residents to a suburb in the first place.
This is a point I have raised with the Minister directly. Blackburn is a very special place with qualities found nowhere else in Melbourne. The residential area south of the station has the largest tree coverage of any suburb within 20 kilometres of the CBD and a large number of streets registered on the National Trust.
Therefore, it is important that we have a sensible discussion about how we preserve the important environmental qualities of Blackburn, while accommodating new housing that is well connected with our public transport system. This will not be achieved by shallow Liberal scare campaigns that spread false and misleading information and seek to divide our community by frightening local businesses and home-owners into thinking they will be forcibly acquired.
The Government has committed to working with the Blackburn community and Whitehorse Council to further understand residents’ priorities in the development of the Activity Centre plan. This will build on the work that has previously been undertaken by State Government and Whitehorse Council.
Formal consultation on the plan for Blackburn will get underway later this year, and will involve two phases of public consultation, as well as the establishment of a Community Reference Group (CRG), which will deliberate on community feedback and provide input on the activity centre plans. The State Government will also be working with Whitehorse Council on the development of the plans.
In the meantime, I encourage you to have your say and share any thoughts, ideas or concerns you may have. Simply scan the marked QR code below to access my local survey and have your say.
State Government’s Planning Reforms: altering heritage, character throughout Victoria
Jane Oldham
In March 2025, the Victorian State Government announced 25 more train and tram activity centres across Melbourne. These activity centres are a central part of its Housing Statement, a policy designed to respond to Melbourne’s anticipated growth in population to 2051.
Included were 4 more activity centres in Boroondara, at Kew Junction and Riversdale, Willison and Ashburton Stations on the Alamein line. This brings the total number of Activity Centres in Boroondara to 8.
The Government says consultation on the first tranche of 25 Activity Centres including Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn stations will begin in April. Consultation on the more recent announcements will start later. The intention is for the new plans to be in place by the end of 2025/early 2026.
Boroondara’s new housing target has been reduced from 67,000 to 65,500 new homes by 2051. All local councils have been warned that their power to make planning decisions will be removed if housing targets are not met and planning applications are not approved.
Camberwell Junction Activity Centre and Catchment final plan
The Victorian State Government has released the final map for the Camberwell Junction Activity Centre. While the catchment has been slightly reduced from previous proposals, many of the streets removed may be caught in catchments around train stations at Glenferrie, Auburn, Riversdale and Willison stations.
Residents’ concerns
Critics of the Activity Centre program, whilst accepting of the increased density, have expressed concern that not only do these proposals lack community and local government input but they lack strategic justification, transparency and infrastructure planning.
Major issues include the failure to indicate how far the catchment zones associated with these more recent activity centres will extend or proposed height. They argue that alternative models for densification that do not sacrifice the character and heritage of Melbourne’s suburbs should be developed by local councils rather than ‘one size fits all’ centralised planning approach.
Within catchments land is being rezoned for density rather than 1-2 storeys homes which consider heritage and neighbourhood character. Although the heritage overlay will remain heritage precincts/places are at risk from more diverse housing that increases density and compromises heritage values. Approximately 4500 heritage properties in the Camberwell Junction catchment and thousands more in the other seven centres are at risk over the long term.
Rescode Reforms
Across Victoria new ‘deemed to comply’ planning controls for townhouse and apartments developments up to 3 storeys remove the right to object and appeal to VCAT (except on heritage grounds for places in the heritage overlay). The changes reduce boundary setbacks (9m to 6m) at the front and (6m to 3m) at the side except to the south boundary, increased site coverage, reduced open space, reduced tree canopy and reduced protection from overshadowing and overlooking. Councils will have to approve plans which meet these new and lower standards. Neighbourhood character will not be a consideration.
The State Government’s Plan for Victoria outlines a state-wide vision for how Victoria will grow. The Plan replaces the existing metropolitan strategy Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 and regional growth plans. Under the Plan, car parking requirements for apartments built near transport connections will be eased.
The impact of rezoning on homes with Single Dwelling Covenants is a matter that Boroondara Community Group is currently exploring with Boroondara Council.
Future Homes template designs are already available to developers of 3 storey apartments. These designs will be fast-tracked for approval in the new Housing Choice and Transport Zone (HCTZ) and any land already zoned General Residential if that land is less than 800m from an Activity Centre. Residents have reduced rights to object and challenge at VCAT for Future Home development.
Where to from here?
Boroondara Community Group and likeminded groups across Melbourne have called on the communities to advocate for the disallowance of the new regulations (VC257 Activity Centres and VC267 Town House and Low-Rise Code) by the Legislative Council in May. This could be achieved with the support of the Opposition and seven of the eleven cross benchers.
Go to the Boroondara Community Group website here: https://borocogroup.org/#take-action where you will find a comprehensive list of actions and contact details that will guide you in your advocacy.
Victoria’s new Housing Statement: panic stations and not evidence based
Ian Hundley
On September 20, Premier Daniel Andrews launched Victoria’s Housing Statement–The Decade Ahead 2024-2034. A declared objective is to build 648,000 new homes in metropolitan Melbourne within the next decade and about 1.84 million new homes by the year 2051. This is purported to meet projected population growth and to ease spiraling house prices, whilst constraining this growth within the existing Urban Growth Boundary.
The statement raises many disturbing issues, not properly considered by the Government, some of which are discussed here.
To read the full article, please click here.
Victorian Government’s Activity Centre Program fails many tests.
John Mosig
On the evening of 11 February, I attended a forum of Boroondara ratepayers addressing the state government’s Activity Centres Program. Designed to accommodate a Melbourne population of 7 to 9 million, it was a lesson in environmental, social and economic vandalism.
What made the evening most bizarre was that the government planners speaking to the slideshow points didn’t once mention climate change or future-proofing building standards. A housing and amenity infrastructure program designed to carry us through to the end of the century without considering climate change in its brief is professionally incompetent and a scandalous use of taxpayers’ money. Future generations may describe it as criminal negligence. Without strict regulation and oversight, this very expensive and resource-consuming build has every chance of delivering a massive environmental slum. Here in Boroondara and across the whole city.
Just as worrying was the absence of clear guidelines on such issues as compulsory acquisition, adequate compensation and the right of appeal. Attendees were assured that these issues would be dealt with later. The person next to me muttered; ‘Oh yeah; pull the other one’.
Furthermore, while no budget figure was offered, Boroondara residents were told private developers would do the construction and pick up the tab. In the light of the government’s track record overseeing projects of this nature, it brought jeers from the assembled ratepayers.
The runoff alone from the proposed concrete jungle, in Boroondara and across Melbourne, would necessitate a complete restructure of the zones’ stormwater systems to prevent flooding, which in turn would distort the downstream hydrology in the Yarra catchment, an area home to a third of the city’s population.
The plan is totally unhinged from reality on several fronts and dwarfs the big infrastructure build, the run-away cost of which has paupered Victoria, forcing, presumably, the increases in state taxes and service charges imposed, while public services have been restricted.
In the absence of any business plan or cost benefits schedule, the centres aim to almost double the population of Boroondara. To meet the estimated population, the project has a presumed timeline of 25 years. The scramble for scarce labour and material is going to leave residents living and working amongst building sites for decades. With Boroondara is already operating close to maximum serviceable capacity, this will impact amenity and property values will fall. Any fair compensation for this would be in the billions; a reparation not considered in the draft, and one would presume, not envisioned by those who threw together this wild social engineering adventure.
Treeless, high-rise building zones form heat banks and wind tunnels. The combination of a self-regulating private sector and the absence of community facilities, such as schools and open space, has left the Dockland housing stock development a white elephant. The government proposal outlined on the night threatens the same fate for those areas chosen for this 20th Century solution to a 21st Century problem.
To put some perspective to the situation beyond a local political distraction, the UN’s International Organisation for Migration reported that, driven by climate change and its societal impact, there are currently over 400m refugees searching for a home. With no global consensus to reduce the use of fossil fuels the present rate of climate breakdown can only increase, further driving up the number of displaced persons. While an unimaginable catastrophe, spending money and resources building more houses to absorb this tidal wave of humanity is only going to generate more greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, we’re going to have to face the consequences of the world we’ve created and think our way out of the predicament but destroying a functioning facility we already have is not the answer.
Preserving Community Voices in Planning
Markham Estate Artist impression
John Friend-Pereira
Recent planning reforms introduced in the State Government’s 2023 Housing Statement will have far reaching impacts on our suburbs. The Statement includes 32 planning reforms, granting the Minister for Planning more power. However, the changes fall short of effectively addressing the housing crisis and reduce input from community and local councils.
Markham Estate Redevelopment in Ashburton.
The original Markham Estate comprised 56 public housing units. Over eight years, various proposals were made for redeveloping the estate, often overlooking community concerns. The initial 2016 proposal planned for a mere 62 public units (an increase of 6) out of 252 new units. Despite community opposition, the subsequent 2018 proposal retained the same number of public units. Only through persistent advocacy by the Ashburton Residents Action Group (ARAG), supported by the City of Boroondara, did the final 2020 proposal see an increase to 111 public units out of a total of 178. The worry is that under these new rules, the community might not have a say at all.
In its February 2024 report, the City of Boroondara Urban Planning Committee highlighted numerous problems with the Markham planning process including:
- Lack of community and council input
- Lack of transparent processes and external scrutiny of final approvals
- Minister’s wide-ranging power to agree proposals without clear enforcement oversight
- Unstreamlined and untimely processes causing significant delays
Redevelopment in Alamein Avenue
Nearby public housing at 1-9 Alamein Avenue is currently two-thirds unoccupied (only 10/36 units occupied) and slated for redevelopment by Homes Victoria. There is concern it could face a similarly flawed process under the planning powers granted to the Minister. Those powers would exclude community input and council involvement and enable the stealthy privatization of prime public housing. Based on the approach taken at Markham in 2018, this could see up to 162 units replacing the current 36 units, with only 41 units for public housing. It will once again depend on the tenacity of the local community to fight for a better outcome in terms of design and retention of public use.
Why is State Government making these changes?
They claim it’s to address delays in planning processes and lay the blame on local councils. However, evidence shows that local government processes aren’t the main issue. Over 98% of housing permits are granted without councilors voting, and delays often occur after planning approval. A report by planning consultants SGS showed that almost 90% of approved multi-unit dwellings are processed, yet about 25% do not commence construction, with industry experts noting that developers act on their permits when it suits them economically.
Other possible approaches
Another approach to ensuring there’s enough of the right kind of housing would be to include communities in the process. The use of inclusionary zoning could mandate developers to include affordable housing units within market-rate developments (eg 30% of all new developments of 15 units or more would be public and affordable). Instead of diminishing power from councils and sidelining communities, the government should focus on improving the speed and quality of housing construction.
A Traffic Light System could help expedite approvals for developments prioritizing sustainability, affordability, and community benefits – these ‘greenlight’ developments that have enhanced standards and affordability would have shorter approval timeframes than those that only met minimum standards or lack affordability. To tackle the housing crisis, we need a public builder, like the Housing Commission, constructing 100,000 public homes in the next decade at a fair cost. Additionally, a ban on political donations from property developers is essential. Finally, let’s enforce the vacancy tax on unoccupied properties of which there are over 8,000 in the City of Boroondara alone, to encourage owners to rent or sell these units.
In the face of the housing challenge, engaging not marginalizing the community is crucial. I’m running as a Greens candidate for local council because I’m concerned about recent planning changes by the State Government, and I want to ensure our community has active progressive representation on this issue.
John Friend-Pereira from Ashburton is the Victorian Greens Candidate for Solway Ward, City of Boroondara.
References:
The Age Greens Gear Up for Fight over Labor’s Housing Statement 27/08/23
The Age Councils Last Ditch Efforst to Stop Government Stripping Approval Power 25/08/23
The Age The Crisis Driven Plan to Build 800,000 new homes 20/09/23
Vic Greens Media Release: Launch Bold Housing Statement. 28/08/23
Holding Redlich A New Era of Planning in Victoria 27/09/23
City of Boroondara Response to Housing Statement 20/11/23
RMIT-Center for Urban Research Victorian Housing Statement Explainer
Response to Question on Notice 13/02/24
Featured image: credit James Clark
Markham Estate image: credit Homes Victoria
800m Catchment Zones Won’t Deliver Affordable Housing
Jane Oldham
While celebrating Melbourne as the world’s fourth most liveable city, the Government is finalizing ten activity centre plans that threaten our city’s liveability. The key feature, an 800m ‘catchment’ around transport and commercial zones, is a rushed response to a housing affordability crisis created by 15 years of failed policies.
These catchments will reshape Melbourne with 3-6+ storey apartments in neighbourhood streets and towers up to 20 storeys at tram and train zones, including in Boroondara, Whitehorse/Maroondah and Stonnington. With the locations of tens of catchments yet to be announced the program will rebuild established Melbourne.
Conceived in Spring Street without council or community consultation, the Planning Minister will shortly upzone these catchments with the stroke of her pen. Melbourne’s liveability, suburban character, heritage precincts, and house-and-garden lifestyle are at stake. Heritage experts and Boroondara Council warn that 70% of Boroondara’s heritage homes are at risk notwithstanding hollow assurance that the ‘heritage overlay will remain’.
The promised affordable housing in middle Melbourne will remain elusive, dashing the hopes of voters who buy in to the promise in 2026. In the outer of the Ringwood catchment 2-bedroom apartments are in the pipeline for $484,000, out of reach for 50% of Melbourne households. Closer to the CBD developments target wealthy downsizers.
Social and community housing programs lack targets and won’t meet increasing demand. For those on low and very low incomes, public housing sites are being privately redeveloped for mostly social and affordable housing provided by community housing entities. Underutilised public land is being sold off to developers with an obligation to provide just 10% affordable homes, meaning 10% less than the median price/rent for the suburb.
Good planning requires collaboration between the state, councils, communities, heritage experts, community housing providers and industry. It should deliver innovative housing models, quality housing with good amenity that responds to climate change, incorporates best practice levels of tree canopy, is well designed and sustainably built. Planned infrastructure upgrades must be delivered in time to meet demand. Many councils have alternative well planned densification strategies already implemented that the Government has swept aside. Hundreds of banked planning approvals provide time to plan thoughtfully.
Level crossing removals and the Suburban Rail Loop have bypassed accountability, feasibility, meaningful engagement, and transparency. It’s time to demand better governance. A united community voice, opposition, and crossbench MPs are vital to ensure we retain the best of Melbourne as we densify.
For more information, go to the Boroondara Community Group website at https://borocogroup.org/ or email them at borocgroup@gmail.com.
The Clash: Higher Density Living and a Changing Climate
Geoff White
The Combined Residents of Whitehorse Action Groups (CROWAG) Forum held on Saturday 19 October 2024 at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre with over 80 attendees was both timely and compelling.
The theme – The Clash: Higher Density Living and a Changing Climate was prescient, given the State Government announcement the following day for upzoning 50 new activity centres across Melbourne to allow for high rise development up to 20 storeys.
To read the full article by Geoff White, please click here.
Victoria’s Housing Crisis and ‘Future Homes’
David Berry
The current housing crisis is adversely affecting renters, prospective first home buyers and socially disadvantaged people with many causes identified.
A recent Victorian Government initiative, ‘Future Homes’, encourages developers to build more medium-density 3-storey apartments in Melbourne. The developers must utilize government-generated plans, fees are reduced, planning approvals are fast-tracked, councils lose planning controls and the community appeal process at VCAT is curtailed.
‘Future Homes’ applies across Victoria and permit applications can be made in a General Residential Zone (GRZ) if the site is within 800 metres of a passenger train station or an activity centre.
Heritage Overlay or Neighbourhood Character Overlay areas are ineligible. Development sites that require a permit under Environmental Significance, Significant Landscape, or Design and Development Overlays are eligible, but designs need to respond to the requirements of the overlay. For example, in the City of Whitehorse the eligible suburbs for ‘Future Homes’ development include large swathes of Mont Albert North, Box Hill North, Blackburn North, Nunawading, Mitcham, Blackburn South, Forest Hill, Burwood East and Bennettswood.
Design requirements
The 3-storey apartment designs including three requirements relevant to open space, trees/vegetation, and access to natural light:
- Gardens: Generous landscaped areas and canopy trees and room for deep soil planting
- Communal open space: Generous, accessible and a nice space for residents to foster a sense of community
- Solar access to communal open space: communal open space that is not significantly overshadowed and receives sunlight
Please note the qualitative descriptors used in these requirements including ‘generous’, ‘accessible’, ‘nice’, ‘not significantly overshadowed’ and ‘receives sunlight’.
Tree canopy and deep soil requirements
In the Victorian Council Planning Schemes, Table 4 of Section 53.24-6.3 highlights the tree canopy cover and deep soil requirements for these apartments. For sites between 1,001 and 1,500 square metres, which is a standard two-lot consolidation, there must be 50 square metres of canopy cover plus 20% of the site area above 1,000 metres and include at least one tree that has a height of 8 plus metres at maturity and minimum canopy diameter at maturity of 8 metres. The site must contain deep soil for 7.5% of site area.
For example, a lot size of 1,200 square metres requires 90 square metres of canopy area and at least one medium 8-metre-high tree with a minimum canopy diameter of 8 metres. There must be provision for 90 square metres of deep soil on the 1,200 square metre site. The remaining 85 to 90+% of the site area is presumably built form and hard surfaces.
Who will benefit from these changes?
There is a housing crisis, but this initiative will only profit developers and do little to aid people currently excluded from home ownership. What will be achieved is the rapid deterioration of local liveability, sustainability, and neighbourhood character.
Community consultation and local government powers over planning matters will be emasculated and third-party rights to object at VCAT abolished. Also under threat are existing Council policies and strategies relating to liveability, and the natural landscape including Open Space policies, Urban Forest Strategies, and other local tree/vegetation controls.
In conclusion, a question for our State Parliamentarians: What strategies have been implemented to provide a matching increase in public open space to allow residents some respite from these proposed compromised living conditions?
David Berry is member of the Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society Inc Committee. To find out more about the Society and their work, please click here: https://bdtps.wordpress.com/
Urgent Action Needed for Public Housing Residents Left in the Dark
John Friend-Pereira
A distressing scenario is unfolding at 1-9 Alamein Avenue, Ashburton, demanding swift attention, and revealing a bleak reality for public housing residents. Following a fire in August 2023, four units became uninhabitable leaving only 10 of 36 units presently occupied.
In a recent response to a parliamentary question from MLC Dr Samantha Ratnam, the Minister for Housing Harriet Shing disclosed plans to relocate tenants ahead of a major development on a prime public housing site. It seems tenants are being quietly cleared one by one out paving the way for redevelopment while the property remains in a continuing state of neglect and remaining residents unaware of any plans for their relocation.
Residents Kris and Karen told their Legislative Council Member, Katherine Copsey about unsettling conditions including unsecured, uninhabited units exploited by squatters, a build-up of rubbish in common areas, broken windows, and neglected grounds. They spoke about genuine concerns residents have for their safety and the lack of information from Homes Victoria.
Since the matter was raised with the Minister in March, eight of the unoccupied units at 1 Alamein Ave had been secured. The remaining 18 units across 3-9 Alamein Ave remain unsecured, rubbish is building up and squatting is happening. The state government has also failed to inform the City of Boroondara who when contacted had no knowledge of the plans to redevelop Alamein Ave.
In times of housing crises, the redevelopment of public housing estates demands transparency and immediate steps to rectify problems. Ministerial intervention is essential to ensure Homes Victoria maintains habitable and safe standards until all residents are relocated. The vacant units at Alamein Ave should be secured, and basic accommodation standards for remaining residents maintained.
Transparency is crucial in Homes Victoria’s plans for relocation and redevelopment. Residents must be provided with clear timelines, and Homes Victoria should publish comprehensive plans, including the proposed mix of private and public units. The looming threat of privatisation echoes past redevelopment projects in particular the nearby Markham estate.
Questions for the Minister for Housing that demand answers are:
- What consultation and information has Homes Victoria provided to remaining residents and the neighboring community regarding the proposed redevelopment?
- How long will remaining residents have to wait for relocation information?
- What actions will Homes Victoria take to secure unoccupied units and ensure ongoing maintenance for current residents?
- Will the planning process for this redevelopment be subject to the new planning powers announced in the state housing statement?
- What is the proposed mix of public vs. private units in the redevelopment at 1-9 Alamein Ave?
Swift action is imperative to ensure residents’ well-being and to address the failure to maintain habitable standards in public housing. As a Greens candidate for the local council, I’m committed to advocating for state government accountability, meaningful community engagement, and progressive representation working with my colleagues in state and federal parliament to tackle these urgent housing challenges and retaining public housing assets for community use.
John Friend-Pereira is the Victorian Greens Candidate for Solway Ward, City of Boroondara.
Are we walking tall but not thinking big?
Chris Trueman
Is it really surprising that, in the context of a major Metropolitan Activity Centre (MAC), proposals are being put on the table by Vicinity Centres to build a 51-storey residential tower and a 28 story commercial building in Box Hill?
With the confluence of train, tram, bus and the world class automated underground Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) being planned as we speak, and a major shopping and restaurant precinct to boot – all effectively immediately adjacent to or below the towers – what better place to concentrate city dwellers?
Yet at the recent Whitehorse Council meeting where planning permits were granted to Vicinity (the owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre) to proceed with their planned big-tower development, the vote was only 7:4 in favour. A relatively close call.
To read the full article, click here.