Business Lunch with the Minister for Planning

A recent sell-out lunch hosted by the Property Council brought over 380 property professionals together for an address from the Planning Minister, the Hon. Richard Wynne MLA.

The Minister remarked on the progress of the Government’s planning reform agenda, and provided an update on his last speech to the Property Council at our 100 Days in Government Summit.

He began with a nod to the growth story in Melbourne’s central city area, citing robust figures for building approvals and noting the shift towards medium and high density housing.

The audience heard about the Government’s vision for Fishermans Bend, including the opportunities for development within this and other nearby precincts, such as Docklands, Arden McCauley and E-Gate.

On apartment design, the Minister maintained that the debate should not just be about size, but meeting the needs of the market in terms of amenity. He noted that the great challenge was putting in place proper controls for development and making sure that government and industry work together to get the balance right.

The Minister ended by reporting his intention to revisit the zone reforms introduced under the previous Government, and extending the dialogue beyond the protection of ‘leafy suburbs’ to further encourage brownfield development.