How radical social housing plan will transform Melbourne’s skyline

Melbourne’s skyline will radically change over the next 30 years as every public housing tower in the city gets demolished and rebuilt.

Melbourne’s skyline will radically change over the next three decades with every public housing tower in the city to be demolished and rebuilt.

There are 44 post-World War II housing towers across the city, many of which dominate the skylines of prime suburbs such as Flemington, Fitzroy, South Yarra and South Melbourne.

The Andrews government’s landmark housing statement says the towers are “reaching the end of their useful lives” and are “no longer fit for modern living”.

Flemington, North Melbourne and Carlton towers will be brought down first, with the housing statement saying there will be a wholesale program to “progressively retire each tower and redevelop each site”.

All social housing buildings in Melbourne will be torn down and rebuilt over the next 30 years. Picture: Nicki Connolly

One source said it was the most significant social housing policy in decades and would alter the city skyline – for the better.

Some residents have been doorknocked by government officials on Wednesday morning, with Premier Daniel Andrews warning it would be “a very challenging time” for some.

But once all the towers are rebuilt by 2051 an extra 10 per cent of social homes will exist, while the total number of residents across the 44 sites will be tripled from 10,000 to about 30,000.

This will be done by better utilising existing sites which have a significant footprint, as well as expanding the number of bedrooms by better design.

Mr Andrews said it was a “massive agenda to reimagine those spaces”.

“This is about a dealing with assets that are just crumbling, that are not fit for purpose. They don’t have a future,” he said.

“They are crumbling and they need to go.”

Daniel Andrews says it’s a ‘massive agenda to reimagine those spaces’. David Crosling

Authorities began door-knocking residents of the public housing towers on Wednesday morning.

The government said this would occur through a staged phase but wouldn’t put a timeline on when they’d be complete.

“This will be a very challenging time. And there’ll be uncertainty for a number of people,” Mr Andrews said.

“It’s not just door knocking this morning. There will be people in place (to) talk through all those issues and make sure that everybody is supported.”

The state government has approved planning permissions for five major developments.

Five major Vic developments get green light

The state government has approved planning permissions for five major developments, announcing the move just hours before it is expected to unveil its long-awaited housing statement.

As revealed by the Herald Sun, the reforms will see a string of changes to the planning system that will see the government take control of planning decisions on priority projects.

On Wednesday morning planning minister Sonya Kilkenny said she had approved five projects which would see more than 2,000 homes delivered.

It includes 800 homes in Dingley Village, 480 homes in Preston, 477 homes in Kensington, 300 homes in Hawthorn and 37 homes in Geelong.

The sites include a former University of Melbourne site at Bills St, Hawthorn, and the former Kingswood Golf Course in Dingley Village.

Industry source say the anticipated planning reforms will be the biggest changes to the system in a generation.

“This will forever change the way our suburbs and towns look and feel,” one source said.