Victorian councils that miss targets for new housing face being stripped of planning powers as the Allan government looks to dramatically increase the supply and affordability of homes.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak publicly, have confirmed the government is considering replacing its “growth areas infrastructure contribution” charge – that currently applies only to development on the metropolitan fringe – with a new universal liveability charge across all suburbs and towns.
The housing targets are being developed alongside a review of the Melbourne metropolitan planning strategy, Plan Melbourne, which is being broadened to oversee the whole state and will be rebranded as Plan Victoria. Kilkenny did not respond directly to questions for this story. Instead, she issued a brief statement: “The status quo is not an option – the best way to make housing more affordable is to build more homes and that’s why we’re pulling every lever we can to unlock more supply.”
Spear called for targets to be combined with zoning changes to accommodate more homes, the streamlining of approvals for low-rise apartments and townhouses that met updated design standards, and infrastructure charges to apply to developments across Melbourne and not just the fringes.