‘A stunt': Fears work-from-home plan will empty Melbourne CBD
The city's office vacancy rate remains the highest in the country, though a new Property Council report shows it is stabilising with a slight decrease in empty CBD offices since January.
But there is now widespread fear among the property industry and business groups that Premier Jacinta Allan's plan to give all workers the right to work from home two days a week will reverse the recovery of Melbourne's CBD.
In a message to members on Wednesday, the Property Council's national chief executive, Mike Zorbas, was even more strident in his opposition to the new policy, branding it a 'stunt' designed to distract from the government's mounting debt.
'If only the Victorian premier spent half as much time cracking down on the actual criminals crawling all over Victorian government worksites,' he said.
'If only Treasurer [Jim] Chalmers would lend out the Productivity Commission so it could improve the Victorian cabinet.'
The number of empty offices in Victoria had been increasing since March 2020 before hitting about 18 per cent in 2024. It has remained relatively steady since.
Melbourne has the strongest supply pipeline nationally, with more than 300,000 square metres of new office space planned between 2025 and 2027, with major new projects including 800 Collins, 7 Spencer and 435 Bourke streets.
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West Australian
42 minutes ago
- West Australian
Victorian council ends decade-long Great Ocean Road tourism bid
A Victorian council has ended a decade-long bid to be included in the renowned Great Ocean Road. The Glenelg Shire Council in far southwest Victoria is blaming state and national marketing campaigns for not including their region. Despite not being on the Great Ocean Road itself, the Glenelg council had been paying $80,000 a year to be part of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board. In a statement on the council website, posted earlier this month, the council says it is time to cut the chord. 'From 2015, Glenelg Shire Council have been a member of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board (GORRT),' a spokesperson said. 'Council has found that although GORRT have been strong in their advocacy and attempts to link the Glenelg Shire to the Great Ocean Road, the Glenelg Shire is simply not officially recognised by our state and federal partners as being part of the Great Ocean Road. 'We are regularly omitted from marketing, tourism campaigns and strategies.' The Great Ocean Road generates $1.9bn of economic activity each year, the state government says, creating 9800 local jobs. Tourism Australia launched its new major campaign last week, and the only Victorian location featured was the Twelve Apostles, which is on the western half of the tourism strip. The Glenelg Shire is west of the actual Great Ocean Road, despite paying $80,000 a year to the road's tourism board. Membership gives businesses and organisations access to marketing on tourism websites. 'Council has chosen not to continue with GORRT, instead redirecting the $80,000 per year membership fee to directly invest in tailored opportunities that better align with the unique needs and potential of our region,' the council spokesperson said. The Glenelg Shire will instead focus on promoting its nationally recognised Kelpie Festival, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape; the first place in Australia to be recognised solely for its Aboriginal cultural values. A state government spokesperson said Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board was in charge of tourism for the region. 'We will continue to work with Glenelg Shire to encourage visitors to visit southwest Victoria and experience the best of the Great Ocean Road,' the spokesperson said.
Perth Now
42 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Council ditches bid to join iconic tourism strip
A Victorian council has ended a decade-long bid to be included in the renowned Great Ocean Road. The Glenelg Shire Council in far southwest Victoria is blaming state and national marketing campaigns for not including their region. Despite not being on the Great Ocean Road itself, the Glenelg council had been paying $80,000 a year to be part of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board. In a statement on the council website, posted earlier this month, the council says it is time to cut the chord. 'From 2015, Glenelg Shire Council have been a member of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board (GORRT),' a spokesperson said. The Glenelg council area doesn't actual fall across the Great Ocean Road. Picture. iStock Credit: istock 'Council has found that although GORRT have been strong in their advocacy and attempts to link the Glenelg Shire to the Great Ocean Road, the Glenelg Shire is simply not officially recognised by our state and federal partners as being part of the Great Ocean Road. 'We are regularly omitted from marketing, tourism campaigns and strategies.' The Great Ocean Road generates $1.9bn of economic activity each year, the state government says, creating 9800 local jobs. Tourism Australia launched its new major campaign last week, and the only Victorian location featured was the Twelve Apostles, which is on the western half of the tourism strip. The Glenelg Shire is west of the actual Great Ocean Road, despite paying $80,000 a year to the road's tourism board. Membership gives businesses and organisations access to marketing on tourism websites. The only Victorian spot included in Tourism Australia's newest major campaign is the Twelve Apostles. Credit: News Corp Australia 'Council has chosen not to continue with GORRT, instead redirecting the $80,000 per year membership fee to directly invest in tailored opportunities that better align with the unique needs and potential of our region,' the council spokesperson said. The Glenelg Shire will instead focus on promoting its nationally recognised Kelpie Festival, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape; the first place in Australia to be recognised solely for its Aboriginal cultural values. A state government spokesperson said Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board was in charge of tourism for the region. 'We will continue to work with Glenelg Shire to encourage visitors to visit southwest Victoria and experience the best of the Great Ocean Road,' the spokesperson said.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Red tape slashed to fast-track building new homes
Approvals for homes and second dwellings on smaller blocks are set to soar in an effort to reach a state's ambitious target of an extra 800,000 homes over the next decade. Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has announced the 'Single Home Code', which she says will cut red tape and get homes built sooner. The scheme aims to streamline the approval process for new homes on blocks of land smaller than 300 square meters. This means that if a new house design meets specific standards, including requirements for set backs, tree canopy, solar access and street amenity, it can be approved without needing a full planning permit. Neighbours will still be notified and can provide feedback, but if the standards are met, there'll be no VCAT appeals or costly delays. Ms Kilkenny said the initiative is designed to increase housing density and affordability by making it easier to build on smaller lots. "This is another way we're making our planning system say 'yes' – yes to well-designed homes, yes to more homes, and yes to people making the most of the land they already have," Ms Kilkenny told reporters in Brighton on Sunday. "If your proposal meets the standards, you should be able to get on and build." The Single Home Code, which takes effect on September 8, will apply across the state and follows similar changes in approvals of low rise apartments and townhouses announced by the state government in April. A long-term housing blueprint, known as Plan for Victoria, was laid out by Premier Jacinta Allan and Ms Kilkenny in February. The statewide plan features 22 "concrete" actions, including carefully managing the outward sprawl of regional cities and towns to accommodate for more homes. More than seven million people live in Victoria but the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts a rise to 11.5 million by 2055. The government estimates another 2.24 million homes will be needed across Melbourne and the regions. In August 2023, all states and territories agreed to the National Housing Accord, a country-wide target to build one million new, well-located homes over five years from mid-2024. In January the Property Council said Australia was already 15,000 homes behind target. The State of the Housing System Report forecast that Victoria could be the only state that would come anywhere near meeting its goal, finding it could actually achieve 98 per cent of its National Housing Accord Target of 306,000 new homes by mid-2029. It forecast Queensland would only get to 79 per cent and NSW 65 per cent of their implied targets. In July, NSW launched a Housing Pattern Book in a bid to speed up planning approvals. The Pattern Book, which consists of eight low-rise pre-approved designs and a 10-day approval pathway, is available for anyone to use for $1 for a six-month period. Approvals for homes and second dwellings on smaller blocks are set to soar in an effort to reach a state's ambitious target of an extra 800,000 homes over the next decade. Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has announced the 'Single Home Code', which she says will cut red tape and get homes built sooner. The scheme aims to streamline the approval process for new homes on blocks of land smaller than 300 square meters. This means that if a new house design meets specific standards, including requirements for set backs, tree canopy, solar access and street amenity, it can be approved without needing a full planning permit. Neighbours will still be notified and can provide feedback, but if the standards are met, there'll be no VCAT appeals or costly delays. Ms Kilkenny said the initiative is designed to increase housing density and affordability by making it easier to build on smaller lots. "This is another way we're making our planning system say 'yes' – yes to well-designed homes, yes to more homes, and yes to people making the most of the land they already have," Ms Kilkenny told reporters in Brighton on Sunday. "If your proposal meets the standards, you should be able to get on and build." The Single Home Code, which takes effect on September 8, will apply across the state and follows similar changes in approvals of low rise apartments and townhouses announced by the state government in April. A long-term housing blueprint, known as Plan for Victoria, was laid out by Premier Jacinta Allan and Ms Kilkenny in February. The statewide plan features 22 "concrete" actions, including carefully managing the outward sprawl of regional cities and towns to accommodate for more homes. More than seven million people live in Victoria but the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts a rise to 11.5 million by 2055. The government estimates another 2.24 million homes will be needed across Melbourne and the regions. In August 2023, all states and territories agreed to the National Housing Accord, a country-wide target to build one million new, well-located homes over five years from mid-2024. In January the Property Council said Australia was already 15,000 homes behind target. The State of the Housing System Report forecast that Victoria could be the only state that would come anywhere near meeting its goal, finding it could actually achieve 98 per cent of its National Housing Accord Target of 306,000 new homes by mid-2029. It forecast Queensland would only get to 79 per cent and NSW 65 per cent of their implied targets. In July, NSW launched a Housing Pattern Book in a bid to speed up planning approvals. The Pattern Book, which consists of eight low-rise pre-approved designs and a 10-day approval pathway, is available for anyone to use for $1 for a six-month period. Approvals for homes and second dwellings on smaller blocks are set to soar in an effort to reach a state's ambitious target of an extra 800,000 homes over the next decade. Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has announced the 'Single Home Code', which she says will cut red tape and get homes built sooner. The scheme aims to streamline the approval process for new homes on blocks of land smaller than 300 square meters. This means that if a new house design meets specific standards, including requirements for set backs, tree canopy, solar access and street amenity, it can be approved without needing a full planning permit. Neighbours will still be notified and can provide feedback, but if the standards are met, there'll be no VCAT appeals or costly delays. Ms Kilkenny said the initiative is designed to increase housing density and affordability by making it easier to build on smaller lots. "This is another way we're making our planning system say 'yes' – yes to well-designed homes, yes to more homes, and yes to people making the most of the land they already have," Ms Kilkenny told reporters in Brighton on Sunday. "If your proposal meets the standards, you should be able to get on and build." The Single Home Code, which takes effect on September 8, will apply across the state and follows similar changes in approvals of low rise apartments and townhouses announced by the state government in April. A long-term housing blueprint, known as Plan for Victoria, was laid out by Premier Jacinta Allan and Ms Kilkenny in February. The statewide plan features 22 "concrete" actions, including carefully managing the outward sprawl of regional cities and towns to accommodate for more homes. More than seven million people live in Victoria but the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts a rise to 11.5 million by 2055. The government estimates another 2.24 million homes will be needed across Melbourne and the regions. In August 2023, all states and territories agreed to the National Housing Accord, a country-wide target to build one million new, well-located homes over five years from mid-2024. In January the Property Council said Australia was already 15,000 homes behind target. The State of the Housing System Report forecast that Victoria could be the only state that would come anywhere near meeting its goal, finding it could actually achieve 98 per cent of its National Housing Accord Target of 306,000 new homes by mid-2029. It forecast Queensland would only get to 79 per cent and NSW 65 per cent of their implied targets. In July, NSW launched a Housing Pattern Book in a bid to speed up planning approvals. The Pattern Book, which consists of eight low-rise pre-approved designs and a 10-day approval pathway, is available for anyone to use for $1 for a six-month period. Approvals for homes and second dwellings on smaller blocks are set to soar in an effort to reach a state's ambitious target of an extra 800,000 homes over the next decade. Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has announced the 'Single Home Code', which she says will cut red tape and get homes built sooner. The scheme aims to streamline the approval process for new homes on blocks of land smaller than 300 square meters. This means that if a new house design meets specific standards, including requirements for set backs, tree canopy, solar access and street amenity, it can be approved without needing a full planning permit. Neighbours will still be notified and can provide feedback, but if the standards are met, there'll be no VCAT appeals or costly delays. Ms Kilkenny said the initiative is designed to increase housing density and affordability by making it easier to build on smaller lots. "This is another way we're making our planning system say 'yes' – yes to well-designed homes, yes to more homes, and yes to people making the most of the land they already have," Ms Kilkenny told reporters in Brighton on Sunday. "If your proposal meets the standards, you should be able to get on and build." The Single Home Code, which takes effect on September 8, will apply across the state and follows similar changes in approvals of low rise apartments and townhouses announced by the state government in April. A long-term housing blueprint, known as Plan for Victoria, was laid out by Premier Jacinta Allan and Ms Kilkenny in February. The statewide plan features 22 "concrete" actions, including carefully managing the outward sprawl of regional cities and towns to accommodate for more homes. More than seven million people live in Victoria but the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts a rise to 11.5 million by 2055. The government estimates another 2.24 million homes will be needed across Melbourne and the regions. In August 2023, all states and territories agreed to the National Housing Accord, a country-wide target to build one million new, well-located homes over five years from mid-2024. In January the Property Council said Australia was already 15,000 homes behind target. The State of the Housing System Report forecast that Victoria could be the only state that would come anywhere near meeting its goal, finding it could actually achieve 98 per cent of its National Housing Accord Target of 306,000 new homes by mid-2029. It forecast Queensland would only get to 79 per cent and NSW 65 per cent of their implied targets. In July, NSW launched a Housing Pattern Book in a bid to speed up planning approvals. The Pattern Book, which consists of eight low-rise pre-approved designs and a 10-day approval pathway, is available for anyone to use for $1 for a six-month period.
