Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (21:43): (2409) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Planning. Last week the housing advocacy group YIMBY Melbourne hosted an event with an international planning expert, Alain Bertaud. Among the things that he spoke about that are impacting the availability of housing in Melbourne were the green wedge zones. The result of locking up so much land in these green wedges is to push housing further and further towards the fringes of the city. I understand that people in Melbourne are very fond of our green open spaces. While I am not advocating for repealing all of them, it is simply common sense to recognise that not all green spaces are equal. Some have important environmental features worthy of protection, and others have important social and cultural uses. Some, however, are simply paddocks full of weeds.

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Norman Dennis at his property in Leslie Road, Clarinda. While maintaining a sharp wit and a great sense of humour, Norman is in his later years and is keen to sell this property and provide more housing for people who want to live in the area. I have seen the property, and it is basically just an old paddock with plenty of loosened trees, blackberries and introduced grasses – hardly a high-quality environmental asset. It would be hard to imagine that even the most enthusiastic environmentalist would prioritise this as needing protection. It is also a great place to build more housing. There is a massive park right across the road for kids to play in, and just at the end of the street there is a bus that will take you to Southland or Clayton station. Not everyone wants to live in apartments, but many people want a home in a great location. This is a perfect site for sensible development. My request to the minister is to rezone this land and allow more homes in Clarinda.