Out Medium Density Myth

The out of control medium density development in Melbourne isn't working. You can't drive around in the inner suburbs any more without experiencing peak hour traffic delays, pretty much, at any time of the day and you can forget about weekends. Bloody hell! This idiot govt is destroying Melb by being in bed with the property developers, it's that simple.

They say that Melbourne has a housing shortage and it cannot keep spreading its boundaries out further and further so we need to accept medium density. But my question is, why does that translate to huge over-development in the inner suburbs? Often, huge development in the very best locations in the inner suburbs, land that property developers will make millions of dollars from to the detriment of the locals?

Why doesn’t medium density mean the use of the all existing suburbs? Why doesn’t it mean – and I’m sorry for the people who aren’t familiar with Melbourne – building two houses per block in all suburbs? You know, for example, Box Hill, Blackburn, Nunawading, Mitcham, Vermont, Ringwood, Croydon, Bayswater, Boronia, Lillydale and the like. The whole lot? Why does it mean ugly ten story, and more, blocks of flats in Nelson Place Williamstown, or Napier Street Fitzroy. It is because this has so much less to do with the good of Melbourne and so much more to do with the good of property developers.

I don't know how many people have said to me lately that Melb traffic is out of control!

Let’s look at Victoria Street Collingwood, for instance. Pretty much any time of the day, the traffic is unmanageable, rows of cars stopped all the way along, in both directions. And yet, there are four more huge developments going ahead.

Do we have to get to gridlock in the inner suburbs before the government realises that its policies are not only not working, but they are destroying Melbourne.

Remember when Melbourne won the most liveable city in the world award… not any more. I'd say that is history.

But remember, there is an election this year. You can tell this state govt directly what you think of their housing policy.

I know I intend to.

Time to go Mr Brumby... you and your idiot housing minister.