New zones affecting housing
diversity and affordability

David Lock Associates has joined with a group of industry professionals to make a submission to the Residential Zones Standing Advisory Committee set up by the Victorian government.

Issues related to the proposed application of the proposed zones by many councils were highlighted in a letter from 35 industry professionals featured in The Age.

Concerned about the potential impact of the zones on sustainability and liveability, Principal Mark Sheppard and CEO David Klingberg have co-authored and put their names to the submission.

The group of planning professionals has raised the following concerns with the way the zones are proposed to be applied:

• ongoing structural shortage of new housing to meet the growing demand from higher projected population growth across Melbourne
• the danger that opportunities for providing affordable housing, special purpose housing and older persons units, including community housing, will be severely curtailed
• the costs to the State and other agencies as investment in medium density housing becomes less appealing
• social and infrastructure costs as medium density housing is pushed further out from the centre of Melbourne
• significant reduction in the diversity of residential infill development in existing suburbs
• lack of rigour by many councils in the proposed application of the new zones, and
• tight timeframes for consultation about how the new zones will be implemented.

The group is presenting its concerns at the Committee hearings along with supporting evidence.

planning, social, sustainable, housing, policy