Minister Clare O'Neil at the West of Melbourne "WoMEDA" summit. It shows that political alignment is more important than critical thought and analysis on policy.
📈Particularly grating is repeating the silly Department of Transport and Planning statistic about ~400% growth in Wyndham/Melton over 30 years compared with "just" ~25% in established Bayside/Boorondara.
Of course, designated greenfield growth municipalities, virtually entirely farmland 3 decades ago, would see a higher "percentage" growth rate than established, entirely built-out inner suburbs. ➗Percentages always look big from a low base – it's nonsense.
Then, lots of "shoulds" which continue to ignore hard facts like: ⛔a lack of zoned land has not been the barrier to more high-density homes being built – #feasibility and #demand have 👷🏻 #construction and labour costs, plus high taxes/charges kill feasibility for all housing, but especially higher density. None of these have been touched besides freeing the NCC for few years (which only slows the rate of furtherincreases) 🏘️new home buyers, for the most part (70%+), do not want apartment living – particularly the major migrant cohorts coming to Australia 💰excepting the highest value areas in the country, new apartments are much more expensive than prevailing house prices, which limits demand 💎just because an apartment is "feasible" in a location relative to what is around it, that does not make it "affordable 🏢only ~10% of jobs are in and around the CBD (~20% in inner Melbourne). All this policy runs through the lens of CBD-centrism/transport notes, counter to the evidence.
The nonsense about high-density housing in established middle-ring areas – north, south or west alike – as being the solution to #housingaffordability in a high-cost country like Australia has to stop. It isn't and it won't be.
At least there was discussion (in other sessions) about bringing more business investment and employment to the west, which is actually a worthy suggestion. Bring the jobs to the houses, rather than vice-cersa.
The Minister talks about her suburb of Oakleigh being a place where more apartments should be built. Other than feasibility and demand, go for it?
🤔I might respect that statement more when a Victorian politician talking about housing affordability actually buys an off-the-plan, family-sized apartment to live in at $15,000+/m2.