Victoria’s Housing Statement was released twelve months ago and since this time, the focus has been on promoting housing within the established areas of Melbourne. The announcement of this new 10-year plan finally puts greenfield planning back in the news but does it do enough?
While much of the detail is yet to come, here are some of our thoughts on the announcement.
27 ‘additional’ greenfield areas
These precincts have long been identified and listed by the VPA. They are not ‘additional’ as there is no mention of future changes to the Urban Growth Boundary. Yesterday’s announcement is significant though because, for the first time, it sequences these precincts for future development rather than relying on the short-term outlook of the VPA Business Plan. While this is warmly welcomed, there is still more that can be done in this area.
Market-driven flexibility
There is no information as to how the PSPs have been scheduled and split into the three Horizons. Hopefully there will be significantly more detail provided over the upcoming weeks to support yesterday’s three-page summary. Regardless, moving forward, the program must have enough flexibility to deliver jobs and housing when and where the market demands it. Releasing more zoned land supply sooner could help meet immediate demand and allow time for infill and activity centre developers to adapt, acquire sites, and make financing adjustments. Greenfield development has the advantage of responding quickly to demand, which is crucial in addressing the current housing supply crisis. It can also ensure that a pipeline of supply can minimise supply led cost increases.
Infrastructure sequencing and staging
A critical aspect of this plan is its linkage to infrastructure delivery for new projects. Given that several projects cannot commence until funding and delivery timeframes for major transport infrastructure are confirmed, it is essential that the Government provides clear and coordinated plans for infrastructure development and commits to the expenditure of Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution funds.
Focus on greenfield development
The creation of the Growth Areas Authority in 2006 was a huge step forward for the greenfield sector as it created a body that was solely focussed on the delivery of PSPs. Will we see the same level of focus once the VPA merges with DTP, where 70% of the focus is on delivering housing within established areas? With more PSPs being undertaken simultaneously, resourcing must also be considered. What role can industry play in supporting and driving this work?
Radical change
To cut PSP preparation and approval timeframes by one-third, we need a radical overhaul of our processes and a new approach to the form of PSPs. At present, our PSPs are increasingly lengthy, detailed and often over-prescriptive but do they need to be when similar outcomes are delivered under much briefer planning controls such as Development Plans? This is also an opportunity to learn from established communities delivered under earlier PSPs. What has worked well and what can we do better? How can we innovate and improve the sustainability of our new communities?
Concierge Service
The intention of this service is to unlock constrained zoned land and to identify and address issues preventing high yield land from being developed. But, should this be the key focus area? A service that can add support during permit and post-permit approval processes could be more beneficial, to ensure that decisions are made in a timely manner and referral authorities are held accountable.
Review of existing PSPs
Will the review of density in undeveloped PSP areas include a broader assessment of transport, open space, and community needs, along with associated infrastructure contributions? What are the timeframes for this review, and how will local Councils handle applications in the interim? Density changes should be accompanied by a review of engineering standards to address issues such as the scale of our arterial road intersections and the ability to install services below the footpath, to increase opportunities for greening of the public realm and to ensure that we are being more efficient with the land that we have.
