Friday, 14 November 2025

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:52): (1983) My matter for constituency questions today is for the Minister for Planning. I am in receipt of communication from local councils, including Stonnington and others, but I am going to focus on the Whitehorse council correspondence today. I ask the minister to respond directly to the council but to make those responses public. Whitehorse writes, in a letter dated 11 November:

In summary we do not support:

•   The expansion of deemed-to-comply (code assess) provisions to buildings of 4–6 storeys in height and subsequent degradation of neighbourhood character without strategic justification;

•   The draft standards being applied to all residential zones …

•   Removal of third party appeal rights for this building typology where the standards are met;

•   Lack of community and local government engagement on the draft standards;

•   Dilution of current and future strategic work …

Again, this is part of the government’s grab for power, its authoritarian approach, which is overwhelming local communities and councils. I ask the minister to desist and to respond to the council in detail and make that public.

Sitting suspended 12:53 pm until 2:02 pm.