Future needs for housing

By Melissa Meehan
SHIRE of Yarra Ranges councillors have adopted the recommendations of the council’s draft Housing Strategy Issues Paper.
The meeting of councillors that approved the paper attracted a lot of public interest and extra chairs were needed to seat the full gallery.
The issues paper follows one of the most extensive community consultation processes undertaken by the council as it seeks to plan for future housing development in the shire to cater for a forecast population increase of about 5000 people over the next 22 years.
While eight members of the public were listed present their comments to the council, only four took up the opportunity.
Residents from Chirnside Park, Kilsyth and Coldstream queried some of the proposals in the issues paper.
It identified a number of key housing issues confronting the community living in the Yarra Ranges including the need to manage the forecast population growth and demographic changes over the next 25 years.
State Government projections show an expected increase of about 11,200 dwellings by the year 2030, which is partly driven by an increasing number of single and two person accommodation.
It also included the need to cater for an ageing population with many people choosing to move out of their three or four bedroom homes on large blocks to smaller more manageable units.
The housing strategy identifies a need for a mix of affordable housing to cater for a range of households from singles through to larger families, and the ability to direct new housing to locations where there is access to services and infrastructure, including public transport.
Mayor Tim Heenan welcomed the paper’s recommendations, which include the retention of the existing Low Density Residential Zone which covers much of the Dandenong Ranges.
Other recommendations include limiting consolidation areas to Chirnside Park, Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, Healesville, Yarra Glen, Yarra Junction and Mt Evelyn.
The paper also deals with issues relating to reducing the extent of consolidation areas in Healesville, Mt Evelyn and Chirnside Park and limiting additional housing in residential areas outside the nominated consolidation areas.
Supporting some additional housing opportunities in the rural townships of Wandin North, Seville and Woori Yallock were also raised in the paper.
Cr Heenan thanked the community for its feedback on the draft housing strategy, saying the recommendations would be used to guide the development of the shire’s Housing Strategy.
“The council has listened to the views of the community through an extensive engagement process including a four-month consultation period, seven community meetings, 242 submissions and surveys from more than 1200 people,” Cr Heenan said.
“The development of a well-informed housing strategy is critical to the future of the Yarra Ranges and to its people and will help ensure that future growth is well planned and doesn’t occur in an ad hoc way.”
The issues paper’s recommendations will be used to guide the development of the final draft of the council’s Housing Strategy, which is expected to be completed by September.