Victoria's New Mid-Rise Code Speeds Up Housing Builds

0:00This is Sydney News Today, powered by AI and presented by the Daily News Now. Victoria State Government is rolling out a new mid-rise code to speed up housing builds. It targets developments from four to six stories that meet specific design standards. These projects will get automatic approval. Skipping neighbor objections and appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The goal is to cut average approval times by five months and boost applied in your transport and jobs. The code kicks in on April 16th. It requires things like proper room sizes, decent balconies or gardens, and bigger setbacks from streets. Projects must still respect local height limits, heritage rules, and flood zones. Local councils handle the decisions but cannot block ones that comply fully. Planning Minister Sonia Kilkenny says this will deliver more family-friendly homes in popular suburbs. It builds on the earlier townhouse code for up to three story builds which started in February. Meanwhile, councils have raised worries about less community input and potential trust issues in the planning process.

1:05Some local groups, like Boro and Dada Council, flag problems in the draft, such as bedrooms with only internal light. The government argues, good standards keep designs livable. This comes amid pushback on denser suburbs. On top of that, final maps for 25 Melbourne activity centers were released this week. They said 20 story high caps in spots like Coburg and Brunswick. More precinct plans are wrapping up soon, as opposition leaders push back on middle ring density. This episode is brought to you in partnership with our sponsor. Layback, press play, let the pillow do the rest, sound meets comfort. S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com Made in AI