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City of Whittlesea council calls for consultation

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The North Central Review
The North Central Reviewhttps://ncreview.com.au/
The North Central Review is an independently owned newspaper publishing company based in Kilmore that is responsible for publishing two community newspapers each week, covering communities within the Mitchell Shire

The newly elected City of Whittlesea Council will request the Minister for Planning seek significant consultation both with council and the community on the State Government’s key housing reforms.

Councillors at the last meeting in December were informed on a range of State Government initiatives designed to increase housing supply and improve affordability.

The reforms, contained in the Victoria’s Housing Statement: The Decade Ahead 2024-2034 policy, sets a target of building 800,000 new homes across the state in the next decade.

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The statement also emphasises the government’s plan to reform the planning system through the new Plan for Victoria, alongside its efforts to enhance housing choice via the Activity Centre Program.

Victoria’s Housing Statement has identified Epping as one of 10 activity centres where an additional 60,000 homes will be developed over the next decade.

Council’s submission on Plan for Victoria contained 45 recommendations, ranging from improved transport links such as delivering the Wollert Rail, more bus services, and the E6 freeway, to having better sustainability outcomes in new developments, such as more tree planting and integrated water management.

Council also recommended setting social housing targets tailored to the specific needs of each municipality, and advocated for larger developments to include a minimum of 15 percent of affordable housing.

In its submission on the Activity Centre Program, council requested that the Epping Central Structure Plan, developed through collaboration with the community and stakeholders, serves as the foundation for the new city centre.

Council requested further time to allow for community consultation and council to understand, test, and make a submission on the proposed planning controls.

In October, the government made additional announcements on proposed housing and planning reforms through its More Homes, More Opportunity plan, including a potentially significant change to the development contributions system.

Councillors resolved to write to the Minister for Planning to seek assurance they could provide expert input into the development of the proposed reform.

City of Whittlesea Mayor Councillor Aidan McLindon said it was important that growing areas were supported with the necessary infrastructure.

“The State Government has announced a number of major planning reforms and we need to be confident these changes are carefully considered, thoroughly tested, and will not have unintended consequences,” he said.

“It is critical that growing communities are supported with the infrastructure they need such as public transport, parks, and community facilities.

“We want to ensure the government is consulting not only with councils but also the community as we work together to meet the current and future housing needs in our communities.”

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