FUTURE GEELONG: Developers are calling for faster approval of master plans for growth areas

Growth areas in Geelong’s north and west still have no approved master plans with changes needed to meet Geelong’s astronomical housing targets, developers say.

An artist's render of Lara Lakes Estate from Bisinella.

Growth areas in Geelong’s north and west still have no approved master plans as developers say changes are needed to meet Geelong’s astronomical housing targets.

Developing land in Lovely Banks, Bell Post Hill and Batesford marked to host thousands of new residents is facing a bottleneck, as companies await approval on Precinct Structure Plans (PSPs).

Developer Richard Bisinella said “the lack of urgency is incredibly concerning” as the sites were essential to Geelong being able to meet housing demand.

The problem is widespread, Mr Bisinella said, with the industry rife with stories about plans and approval documents sitting with authorities for months without response.

“This makes the task of investing in and delivering new houses at the pace and scale required incredibly difficult,” he said.

Richard Bisinella and Steve Price. Picture: Supplied

Villawood executive director Rory Costelloe agreed that PSPs were an arduous process, often taking seven years or more to complete.

“It’s mind boggling how complex it is, the vast number of consultants that get involved, and how expensive it is,” Mr Costelloe said.

Wendy Stone, a professor of housing and social policy at Swinburne University, said there needed to be a “collaborative approach” between developers and local governments to produce the best housing for an area in a reasonable time frame.

She said it was important to “get it right” when cutting red tape.

“If that were to be loosened, I think the way that should be loosened is in a collaborative way to ensure that the outcomes of the processes actually meet the needs of the community.”

Mayor Stretch Kontelj said Geelong council was “always open” to new ideas to fast track rezoning and approvals.

“But we must balance this with the need to provide high-quality neighbourhoods for our communities that adhere to state planning guidelines,” he said.

Neale Pretorius with his wife Esther and children at their home in Bisinella's Lara Lakes Estate.

It is not just PSPs holding up development, Mr Bisnella said, with supply constraints, other regulatory complexities and recent increases to land taxes also making an impact.

“I urge the government to look at the effect of its recent taxes,” Mr Bisinella said.

He also called for the planning minister to take “responsibility for quicker rezoning and PSP approvals”.

A Victorian government spokesperson said the government had made a number of housing reforms “to help slash red tape” including their townhouse code and off-the-plan stamp duty concessions.

“We also know we need to go further,” the spokesperson said. “That’s why we’re rehauling the Planning and Environment Act to look at how we can reduce costs and times associated with structure plans and rezoning.”

“We’ve set clear housing targets and met with every single council to make sure these targets are fair and achievable, and we will continue working with them to ensure more homes get built.”

In February, the state government announced a target of 128,600 new homes in Geelong by 2051.

The government insisted local councils would be held accountable for meeting targets, with consequences for underperforming councils.

Mr Bisinella said although the proposal was “interesting” and “suggested action”, a clearly defined planning scheme with accountability could be a better option.

Bisinella’s Baywater Estate in Curlewis.

City Hall acknowledged the “ambitious” housing targets would require significant residential development within the CBD, established suburbs and growth areas.

Mr Kontelj said council was calling for $150m of federal government investment in central Geelong, which he said would unlock $1bn more in potential private-sector investment.

The federal government’s Department of Social Services was approached for comment on the council’s request.

With all the challenges ahead, Ms Stone said local governments were “between a rock and a hard place”.

She said they often felt the immediate effects of housing shortages, but they did not always have “a lot of power to pull the right levers” that would enable new supply.

“We do have a real opportunity with linked-up state and local government responses to act really well. So local government really needs a very strong seat at the table, and to think about community first.

“It’s really about developing and designing for sustainable futures.”

Originally published as FUTURE GEELONG: Developers are calling for faster approval of master plans for growth areas