Arabic version: خطط الإسكان في فيكتوريا تشكّل محوراً في المعركة الانتخابية

According to ABC News, Victoria’s new planning rules are making high-density housing a central state election issue, as residents and councils challenge the prospect of taller buildings in established suburbs.

In Armadale, within the Liberal-held electorate of Malvern, a developer has lodged plans for a six-storey apartment building on Mercer Road, about 900 metres from a train station. The proposal would replace five single-storey units with 29 two- and three-bedroom apartments and two underground parking levels, if approved.

Under Labor’s “deemed to comply” rules, developments meeting government standards can be approved without the usual scope for objections or appeals. The rules, introduced in April, are intended to reduce red tape, accelerate housing approvals and provide developers with greater certainty.

Labor’s activity centres policy opens designated areas around major train and tram routes to denser development, including buildings of up to 20 storeys or higher in some locations. Armadale is one of 60 designated centres. The government says Victoria needs an estimated 2.24 million additional homes by 2051, with at least 70 per cent planned for established areas.

The Coalition has pledged to scrap the activity centres policy if elected, restore third-party appeal rights and give councils a greater planning role. It says high-rise development should focus more on Melbourne’s CBD and inner city, while Labor argues building near existing transport, plumbing and electricity is a more practical way to accommodate population growth.