About one third of Allan government’s 2.5 million homes to be built across 10 poorest council areas

These 10 council areas are set to take on about one third of the 2.5 million new homes the Allan government wants built by mid-century.

The Allan government plans to build 2.5 million homes by mid-century.

Almost a third of the 2.5 million homes the state government wants built by mid-century are in Victoria’s 10 poorest council areas, sparking calls for more infrastructure to avoid “intolerable” disadvantage.

The Victorian Council of Social Service has crunched data from the government’s 2051 targets using a local government disadvantage index to show which battling suburban and country areas are set for population explosions.

The analysis, which is part of a submission to a major state planning consultation, shows that Melton faces a 190 per cent increase in housing, from 69,300 to 201,300 homes.

Wyndham in Melbourne’s booming outer west and Hume in the fast-growing north face 110 per cent increases.

Other areas due for huge growth are Brimbank, Whittlesea, the Central Goldfields west of Bendigo, and Casey.

A political debate about ­inadequate services in growing areas has recently honed in on some of the fastest-developing areas in Melbourne such as Melton, where Labor is desperately trying to avert a voter backlash.

The VCOSS submission lays out how better transport links and community spaces in the growing areas, with a focus on health and wellbeing, can avoid dire social problems.

“These suburbs are made up of strong and resilient people who have historically been let down by deficiencies and inequities in our planning system,” the submission says.

“This cannot be allowed to happen again.”

It also says an extra 332,000 social housing units – clearly distinguished from affordable housing that is more expensive for tenants – will be needed by mid-century.

This would be about 14 per cent of the new homes planned by the government.

“The existence of high rates of poverty and disadvantage in these LGAs (local government areas) is not an argument against building many more homes there,” it says. “However, equity and liveability must be central considerations.

VCOSS supports the Allan government’s plan to turbocharge housing supply, but says it must be done in the righ way. Picture: David Beach

“If poorer LGAs are to be at the forefront of a statewide push to build more homes, they must also be at the forefront of new government investment in services, infrastructure and parkland.

“The alternative is intolerable … (and) disadvantage will increase.”

The submission is part of consultation for a refresh of Plan for Victoria, which is the government blueprint for how the state grows.

It comes ahead of the one year anniversary of the government’s housing statement, which promised to unlock land and fast-track planning in order to build 800,000 new homes within a decade.

VCOSS chief executive ­Juanita Pope said the organisation was “a strong supporter of a planned turbocharging of housing supply in Victoria”, but the way housing was ­developed mattered.

The state must “deliver more liveable, resilient and thriving communities for future generations”.