Melbourne electorate
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:41): (1236) My question is to the Minister for Consumer Affairs. Minister, when will the government address the challenges facing residents who live in apartments in the city? In the past few decades we have seen a boom in apartment towers across Melbourne, especially in my electorate, and many people love living in an apartment building and all the benefits that come with it, but our government’s decisions and laws and regulations have simply not kept up. I have heard so many horror stories of people struggling with the astronomical cost to replace dangerous flammable cladding that was installed due to government failures, people facing huge hurdles to getting off gas and putting solar power on their apartments and people locked into unfair, expensive and dodgy strata contracts. And the lack of planning around schools and open space has residents simply fed up. Governments over many years have let these things happen. The upcoming review of the Owners Corporation Act 2006 is a good first step, but we need genuine reform, including things like reforming the dodgy developer tax loopholes and the outdated Docklands Act 1991 and City of Melbourne Act 2001 to make sure that apartment residents have the rules that enable them to live a good life in our city, just like anyone else.