High density housing plans in Melbourne’s inner suburbs met with opposition by resident groups

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The battle over higher density housing in Melbourne's inner suburbs is heating up ahead of the state election. The target is the state government's policy of rezoning land near public transport hubs to allow apartment towers, as a solution to the housing crisis. But more than 30 residents’ groups have created a coalition to campaign against the reforms.

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00:02In Melbourne's inner north, Thornbury is well known for its quirky cafes and artistic

00:07communities.

00:08High Street is sort of our commercial arterial hub and then off the side of that you very

00:14very quickly get into what we would call very traditional residential streets.

00:17But as the city's population swells, single story homes are making way for bigger developments.

00:23It's a change that will be turbo charged by the state government's activity centre

00:27program, which is rezoning land near public transport in Melbourne's inner and middle

00:32ring to boost high density housing.

00:35It will allow developments of up to 20 storeys near 60 trams and train stations, which the

00:40state government says will provide 300,000 much needed homes.

00:44Once you unlock capacity, it means there's greater opportunity for more homes to be built

00:50in those areas.

00:52But the policy, which sidelines local councils from the planning process, has proved

00:57controversial.

00:58Shame!

00:59Premier, shame!

01:00Now, more than a dozen Victorian resident groups have come together to scale up their

01:04protest.

01:05It needs to be about community building, not just house building, and I think that's the

01:09problem is that this program is so focused on dwelling numbers, things that sound really

01:12great at press conferences, but not actually building good communities that make a place

01:17better.

01:17The elements that are required to make a liveable place aren't necessarily planned at this moment

01:22in time.

01:23Others say it will help housing affordability, and reforms could go even further.

01:28We think there's really good evidence to show that these kinds of upzoning reforms can

01:31put downward pressure on rents and on house prices.

01:35With the November election looming, the opposition has promised to scrap the activity centres and

01:40hand planning powers back to local councils.

01:43We will actually build as many, if not more, homes by having local council input.

01:48That's the status quo, and look where the status quo has got us.

01:52Liveable Victoria says the future of planning in Melbourne is its top priority, and its 800

01:58members will rally around the candidates who promise to give them more of a say on how

02:03their neighbourhoods grow.

02:04Thanks for joining us.

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