Stonnington is currently seeking feedback on its draft housing policy, and it is essential that a strong pro-housing voice is heard. As a resident of Stonnington, you can be that pro-housing voice.
Stonnington is currently seeking feedback on its draft housing policy, and it is essential that a strong pro-housing voice is heard.
As a resident of Stonnington, you can be that pro-housing voice.
As someone who lives, works, or plays in Stonnington, you have your own perspective and insight into the housing issues that your area faces, and how they can be best addressed.
Use that experience! The more personal the better.
Don’t feel that you have to write a lot; any submission—even something short and quick—is more useful for informing Stonnington’s housing policy and pushing towards a greater diversity and density of housing in Stonnington, than no submission.
The Council is asking for responses under five themes:
Neighbourhood character
Location
Diversity
Affordable housing
Sustainability and design
We have arranged key points under these headings below. Feel free to comment on other elements as you see fit, such as tree cover, open space, and sustainable housing design.
Feedback can be submitted via this link, under the ‘survey’ tab. Feedback must be submitted by Wednesday the 5th of June.
Neighbourhood character
Neighbourhood character is important, but it has to be future-oriented, rather than conservative. Stonnington is one thing now, but will have different needs if it is to flourish into the future
Restricting all buildings taller than 11m to main roads means that most people will be forced to live away from the very 'character' the plan tries to reinforce
Stonnington's character aims could still enable soft density on side streets, with apartments of six storeys around transit, where people want to live
The housing strategy must enable a greater diversity of housing options for a greater diversity of Stonningtonians
Location
The proposed map shows that housing is not being meaningfully coordinated with infrastructure, with train stations remaining mostly low-density
Council should take into account walking distance from key transport infrastructure and focus Substantial Change Areas within that walking distance, rather than
Rather than just focusing Substantial Change Areas on dangerous main roads, the Council should consider enabling more change around train and tram stations
A notable example of unambitious low-density housing near train stations is around Hawksburn (light green is Neighbourhood Residental Zone)
Diversity
Housing diversity is not just three-bedroom apartments
In fact, the needs of Melburnians are for one- and two-bedroom apartments, as per applications for the social housing register
The wide shortage of one- to two-bedroom apartments relative to the demand means that even the oldest stock is in high demand
Housing diversity means social housing, affordable housing, cohousing, and other forms of non-market housing—not just three-bedroom apartments
Affordable housing
We support the strategy’s aim to increase the supply, quality, and diversity of affordable housing options in Stonnington
Council should incentivise more affordable housing by providing density bonuses to developments that provide social and affordable housing as part of the build
Under the current strategy, affordable housing will be almost exclusively built on busy main roads, keeping the side streets locked up exclusively for the wealthiest Stonningtonians
Sustainability and design
To achieve sustainability and climate resilience objectives, it is critical to encourage more housing in areas with the best access to public transport
The best way to encourage walking is to make Stonnington walkable
Sustainability requires density around train stations and active transport routes, not just on main roads
General Comments
The population projections used by the City of Stonnington (and other councils) come from the Victoria in Future 2023 report
The Victoria in Future projections are based on zoning, and the zoning is based on the projections—creating an "exclusionary zoning trap", where no new housing gets built
Stonnington must enable Parisian, six-storey density around transit in order to become remain a vibrant, sustainable area.
Instead of planning to preserve the suburbs of the past, Stonnington should be looking toward creating and nurturing the suburbs of the future.
Thank you again for your help in fighting for a bigger and better Melbourne!
