Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Planning process

Mr HAYES, Ms STITT
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Questions without notice and ministers statements

Planning process

 Mr HAYES (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): My question is to the Minister for Planning. The Premier last week proposed and then withdrew an $800 million development levy to finance more social housing, subsequently revealing an interesting agreement. It was an agreement, the Premier said, which levied property developers to pay for social housing in exchange for the government streamlining faster approvals, overhauling the planning system once again in favour of the development industry and creating super profits for developers. The CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia said:

The only place where a social housing tax and planning reform is linked is within the bubble of Spring Street politics.

My question is: if the government can do deals with developers in return for fast-tracking approvals and super profits, does it indicate the government’s complete disregard of propriety or even the appearance of following proper planning processes, as it disempowers councils and even VCAT to hand fast-tracking and super profits to developers?

 Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (12:01): I thank Mr Hayes for his question for the planning minister, and I will seek a written response in accordance with the standing orders.

 Mr HAYES (Southern Metropolitan) (12:01): It has been reported that the government has worked for three years on the proposed social housing reforms, and the Premier stated that the industry has been extensively consulted on the proposal. Yet all three large property lobby groups—the Property Council of Australia, the Urban Development Institute of Australia and the Housing Industry Association—have suggested they were basically blindsided and not consulted. My question is: despite the clear failure of communication with the property industry, I am interested to find out if the minister ran a balanced engagement process for this proposal prior to its announcement and considered any independent advice, such as from councils, tenant action groups or community groups like the Women’s Property Initiatives, and if not, why not?

 Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (12:02): I thank Mr Hayes for his supplementary question, and I will seek a written response from the Minister for Planning.

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