Zoe Moffatt
Hume council has welcomed the Victorian government’s housing statement, while advocating for communities to remain at the centre of decision making, amid plans to clear the backlog of housing permits and make planning decisions faster.
Premier Dan Andrews announced the housing statement on Wednesday, September 20, that the government hopes will clear a backlog of 1400 housing permit applications that have been stuck with councils for more than six months.
The planning minister will now be the decision maker for significant residential developments, including affordable housing projects.
Hume mayor Joseph Haweil said council welcomes the announcement, but eagerly awaits more information to properly assess the impact on the community.
“Hume… councillors play an important role in understanding the wants and needs of residents, particularly when it comes to representing community views about the future of their neighbourhoods,” he said.
“We will be strongly advocating for the state government to ensure that communities remain at the centre of decision making and that their voices are heard. Particularly, around third-party appeal rights in respect of applications that may be fast-tracked under the proposed facilitation programs.”
Cr Haweil said growth area councils such as Hume are already doing the heavy lifting to create homes for growing populations.
“In the past year alone, council approved 3000 new homes to be built in Hume.
“The majority of these applications, some 1000, were assessed and approved by officers under delegation, with only 17 applications needing to be approved by council in the chamber.”
Macedon Ranges council director planning and environment Rebecca Stockfeld said they also welcome the statement, which emphasises the need for a strong partnership with council.
“Efforts to increase housing supply should be thoughtful and strategic, taking into account the local environment, culture, and community identity,” she said.
“Balancing investment in housing supply with the need to preserve and protect the cherished qualities of our region is a delicate but essential task in order to promote the development of sustainable and liveable communities.
“We recognise the importance of providing adequate housing for our growing population while safeguarding the unique features that make our region special.”
