The suburban towers being green-lit without community approval
The Allan government has frequently wielded its strengthened powers to bypass local councils and fast-track developments, directly approving 11 major residential projects this year alone as it seeks to speed up new approvals and meet ambitious housing targets.
This and other planning reforms centralising power have drawn the ire of councils, who argue community needs are not being adequately addressed.
The Greensborough apartment project was green-lit through the government's Development Facilitation Program (DFP), which allows Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to bypass councils if a project makes a significant contribution to the economy or includes affordable housing, under changes made in September 2023.
The minister can also waive mandatory planning requirements related to building height, setbacks and garden areas. Decisions made by the minister under the provisions cannot be appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Loading
Kilkenny last month approved the tower, in Melbourne's north-east, which permits construction of more than 200 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The homes, to be built above a Savers shop on Para Road, will be operated and managed by a community housing provider offering rental homes to people on low to moderate incomes.
'This project will ensure hundreds of Victorians will be able to live close to the things that matter to them – living in walking distance to the train station, buses, parks, schools, shops and services,' Kilkenny said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
23 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill picked to co-lead Victoria childcare review following shock alleged child sex crimes revelations
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and a Victorian public service veteran have been chosen to lead an urgent review into childcare safety in Victoria following shocking revelations of alleged offences against children by a childcare worker. Victoria Police launched a major investigation after Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was arrested and charged with over 70 child sex offences against eight alleged victims who had been in his care. Mr Brown had worked at 20 childcare centres across the state since 2017, and hundreds of families have been urged to have their potentially affected children tested for 'infectious diseases". A second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with child sex offences as part of the ongoing police probe. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said Victorians were 'horrified' by the allegations and on Wednesday announced that an 'urgent review' into childcare safety in the state had been commissioned. 'I know that right across our state, (Victorians) turned to one another and asked how this sort of alleged offending could ever be possible within a childcare centre,' the premier said in a statement. The premier said she wanted the review to look at potentially having CCTV installed in childcare centres, and she also announced a 'Victorian register' will be created. Ms Allan on Thursday then revealed the review will be co-led by Mr Weatherill, who served as South Australia Premier between 2011 and 2018, and Victorian public service veteran Pamela White, who has held senior roles within the sector for over three decades. '(Mr Weatherill) is recognised for his leadership in early childhood and tertiary education and was appointed in 2020 to lead the Minderoo Foundation's Thrive by Five early learning reform campaign,' Ms Allan stated. The 'short and sharp' review will hone in on steps the state government can take immediately, the premier said. A deadline of August 15 has been set for the review to report back to the government – which Ms Allan said will adopt all recommendations the review puts forward. Ms Allan has also outlined that the use of personal devices will be banned in the state's childcare centres by September 26, with the possibility of fines of up to $50,000 being imposed on centres if the new rule is breached after that date. 'My Government will take every action possible – as soon as possible – to strengthen safety standards in early childhood education and care, to keep Victorian children safe,' she said. The Victorian Department of Health activated a public health response this week following the arrest of Mr Brown - whose charges include sexual penetration of a child under 12, producing and transmitting child abuse material, and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety. The department urged parents of children who have potentially been exposed to Mr Brown to be screened for infectious diseases. Victorian Police Acting Commander Janet Stevenson on Tuesday said the investigation is 'incredibly distressing and confronting' for all those involved. 'The most important thing for our investigators was that we needed to identify the [alleged] victims involved,' Acting Commander Stevenson said in a statement. 'These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and the conversations police have had to have with their families were no doubt life changing in the worst possible way.'
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Jacinta Allan shows ‘complete and total contempt' for Victorians
IPA Deputy Executive Director Daniel Wild slams Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan for showing 'complete and total contempt' for mainstream Victorians for not ruling out the Yoorrook Justice Commission's final report recommendations. 'What this shows is that the elites in this society don't care what you think, they don't care how you vote, they've got their own ideology, and they are going to implement it anyway,' Sky News host Danica De Giorgio. 'The fundamental problem of this report is that it comes from a place of hate … this is punishment being meted out by the activist class because Australians voted no to their divisive policy at the referendum.'
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Allan government leading Australia down a ‘race-dividing road'
Sky News host Steve Price slams Victoria's Allan government for attempting to 'divide' Australians. 'I mentioned this treaty process being foisted on Victorians by a hard left Labor state government earlier in the week. Well, we now have a lot more detail and it's a whole lot worse than any of us realised, me included,' Mr Price said. 'Put simply, a standing royal commission paid for by Victorian taxpayers to the tune of $65 million so far has sat for four years. This thing is called the Yoorrook Justice Commission and has handed down to Parliament its final report, it's got 100 recommendations and they expect to be ticked off by the Parliament. 'It's a race-dividing road we should not be going down, but sadly, we are already well down that road.'
