Moreland Holding Pattern Leads to Developer Stampede

I am very concerned at reports that there has been a surge of developer applications for high rise and higher density building projects since the plan for new residential zoning was announced.

Clay Lucas in The Age reports that since the new zones were announced there has been a 35 per cent rise in planning applications.

Whereas Council normally receives between 80 and 100 planning applications each month, in May it received 208, and in June it received 248. On June 30 the last day before the interim zones came in, it got 40 planning applications!

As Ernest Healy from Monash University has pointed out, there is at present a window of opportunity for developers to get medium density in places which in due course will be designated as lower density.

The State Government and local councils such as Moreland need to close off this window as soon as possible, and put in place zones that properly reflect the views and interests of local residents.