By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
AFTER months of campaigning from anxious Cranbourne residents, Victoria’s shared housing provisions have been changed to require a council planning approval.
The planning loophole was discovered when a rooming house proposal at Concord Place in Brookland Greens Estate, Cranbourne, provoked outrage, with residents concerned about the ‘type’ of person the rooming houses would attract.
After several petitions over 12 months and advocacy from the Casey council and Cranbourne MP Jude Perera, the changes come as a small win for local residents.
The revised planning rules mean purpose-built shared houses, regardless of the number of habitable rooms, will require planning approval from council first.
Acting Minister for Planning Lisa Neville said: “These are practical changes that will provide greater clarity around where permit exemptions apply for shared housing.”
But Casey Mayor Sam Aziz said while this is a positive step, he will continue to lobby the State Government for a law that allows the council to approve what the building will be used for.
“The range of matters that council will be able to consider in assessing an application will still be limited to those relating to the building itself, and not the wider potential impacts of the proposal on the amenity of the area.”
He said this was the “fundamental issue of concern” raised by residents.
“While this is a positive step, the range of matters that council will be able to consider in assessing an application will still be limited to those relating to the building itself, and not the wider potential impacts of the proposal on the amenity of the area.”
Cr Aziz said the council has “identified potential loopholes in the proposed changes that the minister also needs to resolve” but acknowledged that this was the first phase of the review in addressing community concerns.
Casey council promised concerned residents at a meeting on Monday 25 January that it will continue to write to local state MPs and the Minister for Planning to advocate for further changes to the amended provisions.
