Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says the residential and industrial land crisis in City of Greater Shepparton required more planning and development support from government.
Ms Lovell said the Victorian Liberals identified this issue over 12 months ago and in May 2021 released a policy to provide a solution for regional communities by fast-tracking planning approvals.
Regional Victoria has had a surge in population growth during the pandemic and the influx of home buyers has sent house prices soaring while rental vacancy rates plummeted.
“To support this demand for population shift into regional communities, urgent action is needed to ensure an adequate supply of land well into the future,” Ms Lovell said.
“An elected Matthew Guy-led Liberal government will implement a program that fast-tracks 50,000 new lots of land across rural and regional Victorian councils, excluding areas in the Melbourne urban-growth boundary and the City of Greater Geelong, in the first two years of government.”
An assessment of currently available residential land tabled at the February Greater Shepparton City Council meeting said the amount of zoned land is eight to 14 years, but it overestimates supply, which is as little as five years.
More developable land needs to be identified and brought to market to satisfy demand in the three to five-year outlook.
Ms Lovell said the housing shortage was making it difficult for businesses and essential services such as Goulburn Valley Health to attract skilled workers and professionals to fill vacancies.
“Without new lots being opened up for new housing, greater Shepparton will miss out on the benefits of an increasing population, additional small business opportunities and better services to meet the growing demand,” she said.