Access to safe, secure affordable housing is a right that should be possible for everyone in our community. Council is committed to supporting the Victorian Government in our joint pursuit to uplift the provision of social and affordable housing and work towards eliminating homelessness.
Greater Dandenong has a significant proportion of its residents that suffer from high levels of socio-economic disadvantage, making it very challenging to find the appropriate type of housing at an affordable price. Council welcomes the Victorian Government’s goal to increase the state’s housing stock by building 800,000 homes in Victoria over the next decade, this will go a long way to addressing the current housing crisis.
Greater Dandenong City Council believes it is critically important that the state’s planning processes are inclusive, efficient and enable the correct forms of housing in the right locations for our community. Council welcomes appropriate changes to the current planning system that will enhance this approach.
Council is concerned however that the reforms implemented to date remove planning powers from local government for large scale developments and limits the community’s involvement in the planning process. Council is also disappointed that recent media statements made by the Victorian Government appear to be unfairly critical of local government, apportioning a large element of the blame for the housing crisis on delays and refused planning applications.
Council believes the available evidence does not support the Victorian Government’s claim. For example, in the last financial year, Greater Dandenong City Council determined over 82 per cent of all planning applications within the Victorian Government timeframe of 60 statutory days. The 82 per cent achievement includes increasingly complex applications. Of all decisions issued, 93 per cent resulted in the planning application being approved, and only four per cent of applications were decided by Councillors at a Council meeting (96 per cent were dealt with under delegation by planning officers).
This is further supported by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) data that shows that across Victoria there are “planning permits for 120,000 dwellings approved, but construction has not commenced”.
Greater Dandenong City Council has been planning for housing growth for many years through the Greater Dandenong Planning Scheme. This identifies areas close to services and transport where higher levels of development are supported and encouraged.
The housing crisis is a complex matter and is impacted by multiple factors including labour and material shortages, the cost and the number of rental properties available in the market, warehousing of planning permits and land banking by developers, tax regulations, and infrastructure delivery. Council welcomes appropriate changes to the current planning system that will enhance the supply of housing, particularly affordable and social housing for those most vulnerable in our community.
Council welcomes the opportunity to work with the Victorian Government on planning reforms. Council can add valuable insight into planning reforms to ensure we improve both the inclusivity and efficiency of the planning system, and deliver the required housing for all stakeholders, including developers, regulatory authorities and local communities.
Mayor
Cr Lana Formoso