Yesterday the City of Boroondara's Mayor Sophie Torney and Director of Urban Living, Scott Walker, presented to a Parliamentary Inquiry on community concerns about the Victorian Government’s newly announced planning reforms, and presented an alternative way forward.

The City of Boroondara believes the Victorian Government’s dramatic changes, announced without meaningful community engagement, could undermine long-term sustainable development.

Mayor Torney asked the government to empower councils to deliver plans for housing growth, and to set a firm 12-month timeline for these robust, community-led plans to be developed.
Speaking before the inquiry Mayor Sophie Torney said:

“We are not opposed to the development of more housing, far from it, but we think local expertise and local knowledge should drive this growth.

“That’s why we would welcome the opportunity, and indeed the obligation, to demonstrate to the state government how we can deliver its housing expectations.

“For example, this obligation might require every council to complete the strategic work and genuine community consultation and engagement to plan for future growth within a 12-month period.

“I know the housing crisis is affecting thousands of people, but blaming councils isn’t right. There are thousands of planning approvals which are simply not being built.

“This means there is time to make these changes well and to deliver for our communities an approach which delivers more housing while adding value across every dimension of life in a growing city.”

In their evidence to the Parliamentary Inquiry, Mayor Torney and Mr Walker said they believed these proposed reforms were inconsistent with key objectives of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, which is intended to ensure sound and integrated planning for the benefit of local communities. On this basis the reforms should not proceed.

Council’s submission to the inquiry can be found for download at Inquiry into Victoria Panning Provisions Amendments VC257, VC267 AND VC274.

Background

In their evidence before the Parliamentary inquiry Scott Walker and Mayor Torney highlighted several significant issues with the reforms, including:

1. Lack of Consultation and Transparency:
   There has been a lack of meaningful consultation with local councils, residents, and key stakeholders. The decision-making process has not been transparent, leaving communities and local governments without a clear understanding of how or if their views were considered in the reform process.
2. Failure to Address Affordable and Public Housing:
   While the reforms aim to increase total housing supply, they fail to adequately address the critical issue of affordable and public housing. We have called for a stronger focus on making housing more accessible to lower-income residents, rather than the simplistic approach of increasing the overall supply of housing.
3. Concentration of Decision-Making Powers to the Minister for Planning:
   The proposed reforms deliver a concentration of decision-making powers in the hands of the Minister for Planning, potentially sidelining local councils and communities in shaping their own urban environments. We believe that local knowledge and planning expertise are essential in ensuring developments meet the needs of residents and are appropriate for the area.
4. Removal of Contextual Analysis and Policy Response to Standardisation:
   These reforms remove the requirement for contextual analysis in planning decisions, which could lead to developments that are out of place with the surrounding environment. The move toward standardisation threatens to eliminate the nuanced, localised planning that has historically ensured that developments complement the character of each area.
5. Inadequate Infrastructure Provision:
   We are also concerned about the lack of provision for necessary infrastructure to support future growth, including transport, utilities, and community amenities. Without proper investment in infrastructure, any increase in housing supply will be unsustainable and put undue pressure on existing resources.
6. Environmental Impacts, Including Tree Canopy Cover:
   We are also concerned about the environmental risks associated with the proposed reforms, particularly the potential loss of green spaces and tree canopy cover. The city is committed to environmental sustainability and believes that the reforms could undermine efforts to maintain and expand urban green spaces.
7. Failure to Achieve Integrated Planning:
   Lastly, Boroondara expressed its concern that the reforms fail to foster integrated planning that balances growth with the protection of community assets, sustainability, and local identity. The city believes that planning decisions should be collaborative and involve diverse perspectives to ensure that all aspects of urban life are considered.