Minister for Planning Planning: Supporting economic recovery in Victoria

We are only five months in but already 2020 is proving to be our most challenging year in recent times with this summer’s bushfires and now the coronavirus pandemic causing significant health, social and economic impacts on families, communities and businesses.

This has led to all of us being asked and in some cases required by law to conduct ourselves in extraordinary ways in order to remain as safe and healthy as possible. Adapting to this new normal hasn’t been easy but the majority of Victorians have done incredibly well and that’s why so far we’ve been able to keep our case numbers relatively low and avoid the horrendous figures seen overseas.

Sadly we’ve seen many Victorians lose their jobs and their livelihoods as result of the lockdown restrictions necessary to slow the spread of the virus and we know many industries and businesses will not fully recover from these impacts. That’s why our Government is implementing measures to stimulate the economy, create jobs and get us through and to the other side of this pandemic.

A key driver of our economy is the building and development industry and so in late April I announced the establishment of Building Victoria’s Recovery Taskforce – dedicated to identifying and accelerating shovel-ready priority projects to deliver short and long-term jobs.

Our Taskforce will focus on five key areas:

• Project Pipeline – identify and triage development approval applications and planning scheme amendments that could be considered for ‘call in’ or fast tracked

• Government Projects – identify current infrastructure projects and recommend to government ways to enable procurement processes to continue

• Housing – identify residential, social, affordable and buildto-rent initiatives that will stimulate demand and provide a pipeline of work to industry

• Planning System – recommend streamlining the system leveraging the Red Tape Commissioner Report and categorising interventions into immediate, medium and longterm system reform

• Government Stimulus Measures – recommendations to government on immediate measures to stimulate demand for housing.

Myself and Treasurer Tim Pallas will oversee the Taskforce’s work led by our co-chairs, former Lend Lease senior executive Roger Teale, Victorian Planning Authority chair Jude Munro and Victorian Public Service CEO Stan Krpan. Our purpose is to recommend planning and economic investment facilitation options to help stimulate the Victorian economy and signal clearly that here in Victoria, we are still open for business.

Further to the establishment of the Taskforce, I am continuing with approvals that will support the economic recovery needed to counter the impacts of coronavirus.

Earlier this year I signed off on preparing planning provisions that will allow appropriate development applications to be fasttracked. VicSmart Plus is a new planning permit assessment pathway to accommodate applications that are too complex for the current VicSmart process but sufficiently straightforward not to warrant consideration through the standard assessment pathway. VicSmart Plus will facilitate economic benefit from appropriate development, enable local government to spend time assessing planning applications proportionate to their complexity and will make planning assessment and approvals more efficient, with a continuing focus on residential and business development. This initiative is proposed to be introduced later this year.

I have also signed off on a Secondary Dwellings Code that will facilitate the development of small-scale secondary dwellings, on the same lots as an existing dwelling in residential areas. The code will be introduced through a pilot program with five coun- cils: Greater Bendigo, Kingston, Maroondah, Moreland and Murrindindi. The pilot program will trial the codified approval process and assessment timeframe. Ultimately, council participation in this process will enable the implementation of a new housing product that will help deliver housing choice and diversity and make planning assessment and approval more efficient.

While the public health emergency has been at the forefront of most if not all levels of government planning, we must of course not forget the many Victorians impacted by this summer’s devastating bushfires. The Victorian Government has developed new planning provisions to support these impacted communities through the recovery and rebuilding process.

The introduction of Clause 52.07 into all planning schemes across Victoria back in March this year has allowed people who have lost their homes in the fires to set up temporary housing on their land without a planning permit. This clause also applies to damaged or destroyed businesses, meaning owners can set up temporary premises without having to apply for a planning permit. In addition to these provisions, we have been supporting affected landowners by undertaking preliminary bushfire hazard assessments and environmental assessments for their proper- ties. These assessments will inform owners about development constraints and will greatly assist in facilitating rebuilding. Bushfire Recovery Victoria has set up Community Recovery Hubs to help landowners obtain specialist advice in order to navigate their way through these processes.

In early May, I introduced Clause 52.10 into all Victorian planning schemes which will exempt some parts of the planning permit process and help to streamline bushfire reconstruction. This new provision will help landowners to rebuild their homes and property and re-establish businesses and services. Through Bushfire Recovery Victoria, our government continues to work with bushfire affected communities to complete a range of technical land assessments so these communities can start designing their new homes.

As we move into the second half of 2020, our Government will continue to be guided by the medical experts to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible while also creating jobs and driving the economy through and beyond this pandemic.

Richard Wynne can be contacted at richard.wynne@parliament.vic.gov.au