Affordable Housing, or Unsustainable Growth ?

Once again we see State Government policy putting our needs behind the urge to open up more house lots.

House lots that will attract Stamp Duty for consolidated revenue. House lots far removed from basic services.

Our community needs long term jobs, schools, libraries, police, properly resourced hospitals, TAFE, and so much more. Affordable housing is an issue for the inner city, and I would urge the government to look at innovative ways to deliver that.

Perhaps multi-story apartments over rail stations would be a start.

But this path the State Government is taking, is only going to create more and more issues in the future. Not only is it putting pressure on our roads and public transport, the time it takes getting around our city means there is less time to spend with family, friends and on ones own health.

The Age report (found here) states that “Fifty thousand housing lots will be released by the Andrews government in Melbourne’s sprawling growth corridors, paving the way for 12 new suburbs.

“Work will begin on turning the large swathes of land into new suburbs within the next four years, Treasurer Tim Pallas will tell the Urban Development Institute of Australia on Friday.

“But almost all of the new suburbs lie beyond the reach of Melbourne’s urban rail network.

“It’s about unlocking land and providing affordable new homes in well-planned communities,” Mr Pallas will tell the UDIA.

This is just going to add to the congestion woes the city is under, and certainly will not improve quality of life at all. Unsustainable Growth may not be an issue in the eyes of major political parties yet, but I am worried it will be when it is far too late.