Tuesday, 28 October 2025

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:29): I rise to update the house on how the Allan Labor government is delivering the biggest shake-up to our planning system in decades, building a modern, fair and efficient system shaped by Plan for Victoria. For too long our planning system has been stuck in the past – slow, complex and holding back the homes Victorians desperately need. Right now it takes, on average, 140 days to get a planning permit.

James Newbury interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Brighton is warned.

Sonya KILKENNY: If there is an objection, that can blow out to 300 days. That is months of delay, keeping young people, renters and families locked out of the housing market. Victorians deserve better. That is why we are reforming our planning system to be modern and fit for purpose and to cut red tape, speed up approvals and get more homes built faster. We will have three clear approval pathways because a single home should never be treated the same as a multistorey apartment complex. Ten days for single homes and duplexes, 30 days for townhouses and 60 days for larger apartment buildings means less waiting, more certainty and more Victorians getting the keys to their homes sooner.

We are also introducing commonsense appeal rights. At the moment Victoria has the broadest third-party appeal rights in the country, meaning anyone from anywhere can hold up a planning permit. That is not fair, and it is not sustainable. We are making it easier for councils to update local planning rules so small fixes can happen quickly, while bigger changes still get the proper scrutiny. Together these changes are expected to unlock more than $900 million in economic value each year and help deliver thousands more homes for Victorians. While we are delivering solutions, those opposite are too busy fighting each other. The opposition are so hopelessly divided –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, ministers statements are not an opportunity to sledge the opposition, especially when the minister blocked one in her own electorate.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Brighton, I have cautioned you several times about making statements with your points of order. The Attorney to come back to the ministers statement.

Sonya KILKENNY: Only the Victorian Labor government is on Victorians’ side, getting on with better decisions made faster to build more homes for more Victorians.