Wednesday, 18 March 2026

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:12): The Allan Labor government wants more Victorians to have the opportunity to find a home in places that are well connected, close to great public transport, schools, jobs and services. Today we announced another step toward delivering that opportunity with the release of the final maps for 25 train and tram zone activity centres right across Melbourne. Following extensive community engagement, this program will help unlock capacity for 300,000 new homes in some of our best connected suburbs, places already served by world-class train and tram networks. These are suburbs where infrastructure already exists but where housing supply has been locked up for far too long, putting them out of reach for many Victorians, especially young Victorians trying to enter the market. We are seeing the consequences. In some of these suburbs the population of children and working-age families is declining. School enrolments are actually falling. Communities that were once full of families risk becoming childless places.

Suburbs like Kew and Hawthorn should never be closed off to the next generation, but that is what those opposite would do. As we heard today, they have made it clear they will rip up these reforms, cutting 300,000 homes from these suburbs and closing the door on Victorians. Did they support our train and tram zones? No. Did they support the townhouse code? No. Did they support infrastructure investment needed to support growth? No. We will build more homes where it makes sense to build them, in the places best connected to jobs, services and public transport, because either you help young Victorians into the housing market by building more homes or you block them. We know where we stand.