State Government Boosts Housing with 700K New Homes Plan, Australia

More than 700,000 new homes could be built across Victoria as the state government announced wide-reaching reforms to address the housing crisis. The plan, unveiled on Saturday, aims to ease the burden on homeowners looking to build granny flats and second homes. Under the reforms, planning permits will no longer be required for the construction of second homes up to 60 square metres on properties larger than 300 square metres. Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny highlighted that this move would remove the hurdles of planning approvals and make it easier for families to live together or generate rental income. The reforms will still necessitate a standard building permit and adherence to design, siting, and amenity requirements. While flood or bushfire-affected areas will still require planning permits, the majority of eligible properties, around 700,000, are located in residential zones. Additionally, rural areas account for approximately 2,450 eligible properties. The state government hopes these changes will alleviate housing strain and improve the housing situation in Victoria. Other regions, such as the ACT and South Australia, have also implemented similar reforms to enable homeowners to build granny flats and provide additional rental opportunities. The wide-scale reforms in Victoria aim to create a significant number of new homes and address the ongoing housing crisis in the state.