Council is assessing planning applications in Lindsay Street, Brighton, and Foam Street in Hampton under State Government planning rules that significantly reduce our ability to respond to community concern.
The applications illustrate how the housing reforms are now affecting established residential streets across Bayside.
Council strongly opposed the way these reforms were imposed on Bayside, with limited local input, reduced appeal rights for residents and no clear commitment that housing growth will be supported with the roads, drainage, open space, schools, kindergartens, and health services our community needs.
Bayside Mayor Cr Debbie Taylor-Haynes said Council supports well-planned housing growth, but not blanket changes that override local planning and reshape neighbourhoods without proper transparency.
“Bayside is not opposed to more housing. We are opposed to housing growth being forced into our suburbs without the infrastructure, local planning detail and community say needed to make it work,” Cr Taylor-Haynes said.
“Residents are rightly worried about what this means for neighbourhood character, amenity, traffic, and parking. The Minister for Planning has left limited scope for Councils to determine planning outcomes in the activity zones, but we will continue to advocate and do what we can to protect Bayside’s liveability and local identity.”
Council has written to the Victorian Government, made formal submissions, and publicly advocated for a planning system that gives communities a genuine voice. We are also calling for growth to be supported by essential infrastructure.
Council has also commenced Supreme Court proceedings seeking access to documents about the Victorian Government’s Activity Centres Program, to improve transparency around decisions that could significantly reshape Bayside neighbourhoods.
Council will assess applications in line with the relevant legislation but will also continue advocating strongly for planning controls that respect Bayside’s character.
Residents can view advertised planning applications and make a submission through Council’s planning application portal. However, the nature of the controls mean that many elements (sometime the entirety) of a development may be ‘deemed to comply’ and Council or any objecting party are unable to challenge such aspects. Residents concerned about the broader reforms can also contact the Minister for Planning or their local Member of Parliament.
Image of proposed development in Foam Street Hampton. Image provided for planning application. Search the planning application here.
Image of proposed development in Foam Street Hampton. Image provided for planning application. See the planning application here
