Allan government’s planning changes rushed and had no genuine consultation, new report warns

The state government failed to carry out “genuine engagement” with experts, councils and communities as it ploughed ahead with its controversial planning overhaul, a new report has found.

The state government failed to carry out “genuine engagement” with experts, councils and communities as it ploughed ahead with its controversial planning overhaul, a state parliament report has warned.

The highly-anticipated final report, which looked into new planning laws as well as the fast track 60 activity centres across Melbourne, found that experts were only given days to review major legislative overhaul and warned that future changes should be carried out with more consultation.

The committee report made 12 recommendations calling for modelling on housing supply within the state’s new activity centres to be made public moving forward.

It also called for more protections on heritage and modelling for tree canopy coverage, however it stopped short of ordering the government back to the drawing board.

Recommendations the state improve its consultation methods used for the first 10 activity centres as it proceeds with the next 50.

Interestingly, in a sign of division among the committee, most members tabled a minority report.

The state government failed to carry out “genuine engagement” as it ploughed ahead with its controversial planning overhaul, a state parliament report has found. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Greens Dr Sarah Mansfield and Mr Aiv Puglielli’s report made recommendations for mandatory affordable housing figures.

They also wanted to see more detailed plans around how tree canopies could be protected, and called for the government to a establish a state-funded builder to “facilitate the delivery of more public and affordable housing”.

Labor MPs banded together to write their own minority report criticising the insufficient timeline of the inquiry hitting out at the Liberals for calling the inquiry into planning changes that had already come into effect.

They warned that revoking any of the changes would lead to a stall in new housing supply and impact people, and developers, who had already started the process of new projects.

Liberal members of the committee, including David Davis, Georgie Crozier and Bev McArthur also tabled a report warning of interference by the Allan government and the heads of Victoria’s peak property and housing bodies.

“The Premier’s Private Office (PPO) rang witnesses and sought to influence the presentation of materials at this Inquiry. This breaches longstanding understandings that the Executive will not interfere in the activities of parliament, such as the work of Parliamentary committees,” the Liberal minority report stated.”

Chair David Ettershank said the inquiry was comprehensive and useful but also highlighted the lack of evidence provided to the committee on behalf of the Allan government.

Chair David Ettershank said the inquiry highlighted the lack of evidence provided to the committee on behalf of the Allan government. Picture: David Crosling

“A major problem facing the Committee was the absence of requested modelling from the government, to demonstrate that the amendments will achieve their objectives. Without that modelling, the Committee was reluctant to downplay the many unintended consequences arising from the new planning provisions that were identified by users of the planning system.

“Of the many unintended consequences identified by stakeholders, the most concerning for me related to the new townhouse and low-rise code: the removal of consideration of flood risks from the planning process, the reduction of environmentally sustainable development standards in major local government areas, and the excessive removal of existing trees. Surely we can address Victoria’s housing challenges without also creating these new risks. Many community groups and councils felt strongly that they were not adequately consulted and that their concerns were not taken into consideration.”

Originally published as Allan government’s planning changes rushed and had no genuine consultation, new report warns