Melbourne 2030 Portal

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From The Age of October 12, 2007

PLANNING Minister Justin Madden will today pave the way for the biggest shake-up of the planning system in a decade.

He hopes the changes will take the heat out of Melbourne's battle over apartment development.

As flagged by The Age in June, the central reform is a review of residential zones with the likely outcome greater council power to prohibit apartments and dual-occupancy housing in sensitive, low-rise neighbourhoods.

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From The Age of October 9, 2007

MELBOURNE'S bursting peak hour trains are having little impact in the city's bigger transport picture, with the current squeeze barely making a dent on car-dominated travel.

Census data to be released this month reveals that public transport use has increased only marginally as a share of all trips to work, up from just over 13 per cent in 2001 to almost 14 per cent last year.

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From The Age of October 6, 2007

But five years on, the strategy is in trouble, with the home by the station proving either too squashed, or too expensive — or both — for most Melburnians.

The report, by planning consultants Urbis JHD, found that, based on current trends, only a third of the anticipated 145,000 dwellings in activity centres would be built by 2030.

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From the West Australian of September 24, 2007

A plan to build a large suburb on Melbourne’s fringe might be considered, but it does not need to breach the government’s urban boundary, says Victorian Premier John Brumby.

Australia’s largest property developer, Delfin Lend Lease, has proposed the suburb, to be called Lockerbie, at Kalkallo, 30 km north of Melbourne, Fairfax reported today.

It would house up to 35,000 people but would require the Victorian government to extend the boundary it imposed on Melbourne’s urban growth in the Melbourne 2030 planning strategy, the report said.

Melbourne 2030, Melbourne's public transport system, Eastlink, Public Private Partnerships.  Melbourne is not alone in this.  It's a global phenomenon.

Get an insight into what is happening.

Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life
by Robert B. Reich
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Knopf (September 4, 2007)
ISBN: 0307265617

Listen to the interview with Robert B. Reich (author) on the Leonard Lopate Show at  WYNC. 

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Melbourne 2030 Audit - General Submission Template

The Minister for Planning is currently overseeing an audit of Melbourne 2030, Melbourne’s long-term planning strategy. All Victorians have the opportunity to contribute to the audit process, so the Government can gain insight on how to refine and better implement Melbourne 2030.

Submissions must be made in writing before 5:00pm 24 September 2007

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From the Age of August 23

Transport plan is taking us the wrong way

Instead the Government has been hell-bent on creating a version of Los Angeles while pretending it is considering investing in upgrading the heavy rail system to construct the third line to Dandenong, bury the Glen Waverley line to Malvern underground and build an underground rail line from South Yarra to Parkville.

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From The Herald Sun of August 21, 2007

Madden says local councils will keep powers

THE State Government will not move to rip planning powers from local councils, Planning Minister Justin Madden has assured a group of suburban lobbyists.

In a two-hour meeting, the group said Mr Madden clearly committed to leaving planning responsibilities with councils, in spite of industry concerns with slow and complicated planning processes.

In case it escaped your attention, the state government is calling on individuals/groups/etc to make submissions auditing Melbourne2030. Go to the Melbourne2030 government website to find out more.

My suggestions for submissions are: 

• Asking for committments to rail extensions to: * Tarneit * Doncaster * Aurora * Rowville (via Monash University) * Mernda * Melbourne Airport * Electrification of the Melton line with new stations
• An immediate halt to senseless road-building (for hints on building an argument for this, go to the PTUA website at: www.ptua.org.au)
• Protection of waterways and open space and funding for their rehabilitation - Comittments to cycling path development (especially the 'Darebin Bridge' component of the network)
• Making water-tanks and solar-panels mandatory for all new buildings
• Promotion of energy-efficient street-lighting
• Removing road lobby's say in any transport planning process
• An immediate end to the private train/tram/bus contractors' franchise agreement and thus making the system accountable
• Ensuring that local 'neighbourhood houses' are established throughout needy suburbs (such as Doveton).
• Funding for urban windfarms (ie/eg establishing a wind turbine at Fisherman's bend or a few running parallel to rail lines) 

Remember to be as persuasive as possible; remind others to make submissions and re-read your comments.

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From The Age of August 5, 2007

Top views, no overheads: an investor's dream

Sky-rocketing house prices in Perth mean cashed-up West Australians are flocking to Melbourne to snap up bargains. Reid Sexton reports.

With many of the West Australians emptying their wallets of an average $750,000 for apartments that exist only on paper, it raises a question: where did it all go so right?

As the median prices of Melbourne properties slowly edge north, Perth's resource boom — driven by China's insatiable demand for iron ore — has seen median house prices there almost triple in five years.

With demand far exceeding supply and developers unable to employ enough builders to cope, a new class of cashed-up home owners is looking for a subdued market to buy big in: welcome to Melbourne.

While Melbourne's median house price for the March quarter was $380,000, the median price for Perth was $455,000, according to the Real Estate Institute of Australia.