Greater housing affordability and choice, better access to employment and amenity and more open space are areas of focus in a new plan that aims to position Victoria for success over the next two and a half decades.

The Victorian Government has released its long awaited Plan for Victoria.

(above image: Ballarat shops, image by Sardaka via Wikipedia. Rebublished under GNU Free Documentation License)

Set to guide development over the next two and a half decades, the plan outlines 22 actions which are needed to deliver upon a vision for how Victorians will live, work and play as we move toward 2050.

It will replace the existing Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 along with regional development plans.

The plan’s release comes as Victoria faces challenges in meeting demands associated with long-term population growth.

According to the Victorian Government’s Victoria in the Future 2023 Report, the state’s population is expected to increase from 6.8 million in 2023 to 10.3 million in 2051.

Most of this growth is expected in Melbourne and surrounding regional areas, with the population in the Greater Melbourne Metropolitan Area expected to increase from 5.1 million to 8 million over that time.

To meet this demand, the state will need to deliver 1.6 million additional new homes to accommodate an additional 1.5 million households.

(Victorian population projections. Source: Victoria in the Future 2023 Report, Victorian Government)

The new plan aims to deliver:

  • more affordable housing and housing choice, particularly near transport, amenity and recreational facilities
  • better access to services and employment opportunities through better transport, roads and active transport paths
  • thriving and liveable suburbs and towns with more tree canopy, open space and walking/bike paths
  • effective environmental protection and implementation of sustainable principles in building and planning; and
  • improved engagement with Traditional Owners and First Peoples in planning.

To achieve these objectives, the plan specifies 22 actions.

Some of these actions have already commenced and/or been completed. Others – some of which have already previously been announced – will occur in the future.

Specific actions include:

  • New housing targets for all local government areas.
  • New planning controls to unlock development in ten initial activity centres and 50 newly announced ‘train and tram zone’ activity centres.
  • Careful management of outward sprawl of cities and towns, including the development of regional boundaries in Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat along with new guidelines and settings for developing and amending regional boundaries (boundaries already exist or are soon to be in place for Melbourne, the Bass Coast, the Surf Coast, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Macedon Ranges).
  • Greater social and affordable housing provision through consideration of social and affordable policy targets in new housing and review of legislative framework to support social housing delivery.
  • Improved quality of apartment living though implementation of the Victorian Government’s response to the Inquiry into Apartment Design Standards.
  • Development of a 10-year plan to unlock commercial and industrial land.
  • Improving the community infrastructure developer contributions scheme.
  • Better coordination of public infrastructure and service delivery to support more homes through introduction of a new planning practice note to coordinate infrastructure delivery in greenfield areas.
  • Introduction of minimum standards for open space provision in established urban areas.
  • Other measures to improve transport planning policy; encourage and accommodate active transport; protect tree canopy and vegetation; promote sustainable development; better manage risks associated with natural hazards; enable Traditional Owner knowledge and input in planning; and better protect the Yarra River and regional resources.

(Minimum open space requirements will be implemented in established suburban areas. Image of Melton Botanic Gardens. Source: Visit Victoria)

The plan was produced after extensive consultation. This included more than 120 events, more than 2,500 online survey submissions, more than 15,000 items of feedback gathered and 247 written submissions.

The document will be updated periodically.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen welcomed the plan’s release.

“We need to do everything to give our kids a shot at living, working and raising a family locally,” Allen said.

“That starts with making sure there’s enough affordable housing choices everywhere in town.

“My big fight is getting young people into homes, and Plan for Victoria really brings it all together.

“This is how we’ll find space for those homes in a way that’s right for every community.”

 

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