Major Submission: Draft PSP Guidelines.
UDIA Victoria this week lodged a detailed submission to the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) on the preparation of the draft Precinct Structure Plan Guidelines (the draft Guidelines). The draft Guidelines provide a vision and framework for the growth and development of Melbourne’s outer urban areas that will spark major investment and provide opportunity for affordable housing and liveable new communities for many thousands of people.
The current Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) Guidelines are more than 10 years old. Strengthening and updating the framework is a welcome measure and will provide a sound basis for the VPA’s ongoing PSP program.
Our submission – developed a in consultation with our Board and Greenfield Developers Committee, Planning Committee and Innovation, Sustainability and Technology Committee – lays the foundation for a comprehensive consultation and co-creation process with the VPA to develop final Guidelines and tools.
Our submission is structured to include:
Priority Issues: These issues are called out as major areas of concern that we feel are worthy of several workingsessions with VPA staff to resolve suitable solutions.
Other Issues: These provide a more comprehensive assessment of the draft Guidelines, and a platform for theVPA to work with the urban development industry to further refine the draft Guidelines with aview to making them more workable, and more able to deliver world-class urban development innovations and outcomes.
Technical Response: We have also provided a Technical Response to the detail of the draft Guidelines which will provide practical feedback and potential solutions to issues raised through the consultation process.
Victoria State Budget 2020-21: Big investment in housing and planning.
On Tuesday, the Andrews Government handed down a hugely positive, record Budget for all Victorians.
Key points and major advocacy wins for UDIA Victoria and our industry:
- VIC population growth is expected to be 0.2%, compared with an average of 2.3% over the past 5 years. Population growth is expected to slowly pick up to 1.7% by 2024. Australian borders are likely to remain closed to migrants and tourists until at least mid-2021, and international students are not expected to return until 2022.
- The Budget includes significant investment in housing:
- In a huge advocacy win, the Treasurer adopted UDIA Victoria’s recommendation to temporarily halve stamp duty. Effective now, buyers can take advantage of a 50% stamp duty waiver for residential property transactions of up to $1 million for contracts entered between 25 November 2020 and 30 June 2021;
- $6 billion for investment in social and affordable housing;
- $500 million fund to contribute to the purchase price of a home in exchange for equity interest to accelerate Victorians into home ownership;
- 50% land tax discount for parts of the build-to-rent sector; and
- extension to the $20,000 First Home Owners Grant for regional Victorians.
- The Budget includes significant investment in planning system modernisation including:
- In another key advocacy win, the Andrews Government has committed $52 million to implement the Commissioner for Better Regulation’s planning reforms and to increase housing supply through the Victorian Planning Authority’s work program;
- $59 million for targeted planning system reforms including structural system reform and a review of the Planning and Environment Act 1987;
- Creation of a new fast-tracked development assessment model for major projects over $50 million, making the assessment process simpler and faster for these important projects; and
- Critical ongoing upgrades to the state’s digital planning system platform, reducing the regulatory burden for applicants and approval authorities.
- Taxes on property represent approximately 44% of the State Government’s taxation revenue, down slightly from the previous financial year.
New planning rules to support Victoria’s Big Housing Build.
Victoria’s Big Housing Build program is an unprecedented $5.3 billion investment in social and affordable housing, and will deliver over 12,000 new dwellings, including 9,300 new social housing dwellings, replacing 1,100 existing dwellings. The investment, delivered throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria, will boost total social housing supply by 10 per cent.
In order to support economic recovery through the creation of thousands of jobs, and the rapid delivery of much needed social and affordable housing, Amendments VC187 and VC190 will be introduced to amend the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes to streamline the planning process.
Big Housing Build: What you need to know about Government’s Purchase Program for In-Progress and Ready-to-Build Developments.
After the Andrews Government announced the biggest ever investment in public and community housing as part of its 2020/21 Victoria State Budget, a tender process has started to purchase dwellings that can be delivered as turn-key properties for new social housing dwellings.
Find out more about the Purchase Program and the landmark Big Housing Build package at this critical members briefing.
Monday, 30 November
3:00PM – 4:00PM
Live Virtual Event
Urban IQ: September quarter.
UDIA Victoria, in partnership with RPM Real Estate, has released the latest quarterly Urban IQ research publication.
The research highlights the effect of Victoria’s stage 4 lockdowns on our economy and specifically on the residential development industry, and provides figures and analysis to help our members understand the conditions in which we are operating.
Click here to read the key points and access the latest Urban IQ report in English or Mandarin.
Victoria’s last step restrictions on the road to ‘COVID Normal’.
Premier Daniel Andrews this week provided a summary of Victoria’s last step restrictions on the road to ‘COVID Normal’.
Key points for Victoria’s building, development and construction industry:
Inspections and auctions – From 23 November
- Indoor inspections and auctions permitted with a maximum of 20 people, subject to the density quotient.
- Outdoor limits increased to up to 50 people from any number of households, excluding infants under 12 months.
Masks – From 23 November
- Masks must still be worn indoors and in outdoor settings where you cannot keep safe social distance.
- While the general rule for mask-wearing outdoors has been relaxed (if you’re outdoors and you can keep a safe distance, masks are no longer be mandatory), many industries are required to continue wearing face coverings as part of their COVIDSafe Plan. Based on this guidance, our industry is still required to wear face coverings on-site in line with their COVIDSafe Plan for the construction sector.
Return to the office – From 30 November
- We can begin a phased approach for staff heading back to the office:
- Up to 25 per cent of workers will be able to attend on-site; or
- Businesses with fewer than 40 staff can have 10 staff on-site subject to density quotients.
- ‘Workers’ refer to people working on a site including, but not limited to, owners, managers, employees, contractors, workers on labour hire and security.
- UDIA Victoria understands from the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions that clients, contractors and other external visitors to an office setting, are counted towards the office site limit. We therefore advise that for now, it is safest to include clients in your site limit.
- Standard workplace requirements including density limits continue to apply.
Those heading back to the office must be nominated by their employer, or continue working from home.
Read the Victorian Government’s last step summary of changes.
Tender notice for planning consultancy services.
A new Panel of Planning Consultancy Services is to be established to assist the Planning Group within the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to reform and improve the planning process and assist in driving economic recovery in Victoria in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and on an ongoing basis.
The Request for Tender 347789 will be published on the Buying for Victoria website (formerly Tenders VIC) at https://www.tenders.vic.gov.au/.
DELWP Contact Details:
Jenny Zitzlaff – 0431 833 886 – jenny.zitzlaff@delwp.vic.gov.au
