Many established suburbs in Melbourne's middle ring and our regional cities have homes on large lots, following what was popular when those suburbs were built.
But times — and the market — have moved on and homeowners with large backyards they don’t need now have even more opportunities to better use their land.
Speeding up the simplest buildings — two homes where there once was one — should be looked at like an experiment. The Victorian Government must closely monitor these programme’s outcomes and measure if they’ve genuinely made gentle density more affordable and quicker to build.
If it does, there’s a very strong case that all codified development under the Townhouse Code should have the same expedited process. We could be delivering three, four or more homes just as quickly as we’re delivering two..
“A planning system that says Yes In My Backyard recognises that many people want the opportunity to downsize where they already live—while also providing more homes to those who want to live there too.”
“Whether it's making a small home for their growing kids or aging parents — or just wanting to downsize and deliver more housing choices for their neighbourhoods, Victorian families now have more options, simpler processes and more predictable outcomes for subdividing their land.”
“This isn’t just about families subdividing — it’s about creating more options for everyone. More options for homebuyers, more options for renters, and more options for investors. Quicker, cheaper subdivisions means a more competitive building industry and more opportunities for smaller, more nimble businesses to level up and compete with big developers.