SOCIAL STANDING: City suggests changes to statewide Housing Statement

THE City of Greater Geelong has welcomed changes to state planning law aimed at providing faster approvals to housing projects.

But the city says the Victorian government should force developers to include social housing properties in their new projects to provide desperately needed stock across the region.

Victoria’s Housing Statement introduced a raft of coming reforms for public planning processes – in what proved to be departed Premier Daniel Andrew’s last major policy.

The strategy would see the state government call in projects that have been waiting on approvals

for more than six months and provide fast-track opportunities for new developments that offer social housing provisions.

Critics of the statement have claimed the changes would reduce public scrutiny of major developments and limit community members’ ability to help shape their neighbourhoods.

But the city’s planning and design executive director Gareth Smith said the changes would streamline planning and retain a prominent role for councils.

“We welcome reforms to the planning system that facilitate high quality, affordable medium density housing in the right locations.

“There are some minor changes to permit requirements for single dwellings and granny flats that will see a reduction in the number of applications the city considers.

“Local government will continue to play a central role in facilitating housing developments.”

Mr Smith said the city decided on 78 per cent of its applications within 60 days, with a minority of complex applications requiring further information, amended plans and public consultation.

For fast-tracked projects, construction must be worth at least $15 million and developers must provide at least 10 per cent of affordable housing or build pre-approved government plans.

The city indicated that uptake of these projects in Geelong would be decided by individual developers.

Meanwhile, the city also called on the state government to make stronger commitments towards social housing, suggested they should be a requirement of new housing projects.

“We would like to see the government legislate for a percentage of social housing to be included as part of all new housing developments, as we see this as the most effective avenue to address the shortage in Greater Geelong and across the state,” Mr Smith said.

The City of Greater Geelong’s Social Housing Plan 2020-2041 aims to increase the supply of social housing by a further 6,000 homes within 20 years, through facilitating development on council-owned land, amending its planning scheme to require inclusion of affordable housing and maximising state and federal investment.