MAV's response to housing target announcement
Victorian councils stand ready to support their current and future communities through the period of growth required to address the current housing crisis.
The MAV understands the need for aspirational targets and looks forward to working closely with the State Government to ensure we shape our cities and places to be more human-centered and connected to enable communities to thrive.
This requires joined-up thinking about housing, employment centres and clusters, transport, the environmental context, and importantly human connection.
After today’s announcement by the State Government, the MAV looks forward to leading discussions with the local government sector to ensure aspirational housing targets align with international best-practice planning principles and are designed and delivered with councils and communities at the heart.
MAV President Cr David Clark said the sector welcomes the opportunity to work with the State Government to further develop housing targets for all municipalities, to ensure all councils can share in the growth of the state to meet current and future community needs.
“We recognise housing targets are only meaningful if they are linked to specific areas of development. Sustainable growth requires the associated community infrastructure to make areas liveable and to have employment and services close by are part of the development process,” Cr Clark said.
“Across Victoria’s cities, suburbs, and regional towns a key focus must be on the quality and diversity of housing type.”
Cr Clark said councils had already acknowledged their role in addressing the housing crisis and have been working hard to facilitate solutions.
“Many councils are continuing to re-zone land and lodge planning scheme amendments to allow the possibility of additional housing stock to be built. We seek to work with the Planning Minister to open up these pathways to providing new housing development opportunities,” Cr Clark explained.
“We will also seek to work with the development industry and the State Government to get the more than 100,000 dwellings that have already been approved by councils – but not yet begun construction – built.”
“Alongside these key partners, we’ll continue the task of stimulating development by discussing incentives to achieve these targets, reduce other market impediments, and standardise a robust, place-based, developer contribution system across the state to accelerate housing development.”