![]() On the ground it means that major defects in residential buildings cost Victoria $675 million each year, with residential apartments making up two-thirds of this cost. At the same time that all this has gone on there have also been significant leaps forward in terms of disability accessibility standards, energy efficiency and our understanding of urban design.Īll this has meant a growing disconnect between the regulatory framework, the way the industry operates and the expectations of consumers. Thankfully, as we grow, there has also been a concerted effort to revitalise our suburbs with things like new parks and better schools, stronger public transport links and more community facilities. It has been confronting to me, having grown up in leafy Alphington, which is now seeing some pretty dramatic infill development, especially along Heidelberg Road. Some of this has been quite confronting to my community. Three decades ago suburbs like Northcote, Thornbury and Preston were heavy with factories and warehouses, and while some of that still remains, nowadays many of these have been transformed into medium- and high-density residential and mixed-use developments. While we still maintain many beautiful low-rise streetscapes, which we cherish greatly, there is no denying that densification has changed the face of the north as we have absorbed and welcomed new families. Right now two out of five people living in the Northcote electorate are renting and a quarter of people are living in a flat or apartment. In this time there have been significant changes not only to design and construction practices but in the very way we live and interact. That is the intent of this bill as we incrementally work to update and reform Victoria’s building system.Īs you will know, the building regulatory system has not been really comprehensively examined since the early 1990s. All of this growth and planning must be buttressed by a building system that has quality, safety and equity at its core. ![]() It also means carefully planning for more services like health and education, more infrastructure like roads and cycling connections, and more opportunities to create local jobs and unique local economies. With the population of Melbourne expected to overtake Sydney by 2030 and be over 6 million people, there is a very pressing imperative to carefully balance the need for more homes with the impact on our environment, on open space, on heritage features and on local amenities. In the inner north we are facing some significant growth challenges that necessitate a robust building and planning system. So I look forward to hearing the contributions from all sides of the chamber on this as we detail the particulars of the bill and link them to the characteristics and circumstances of our districts. I must say I have been looking forward to this bill coming on for debate this week, because whenever we debate bills on planning or building policy we always get a really unique insight into the diverse suburbs and the regions and the communities that make up our glorious state. Kat THEOPHANOUS (Northcote) (14:39): I am pleased to be able to rise today to speak on the Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2023.
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