Brimbank residents urged to have say on housing

BRIMBANK residents are being encouraged to have a say on a strategy that will guide the future location, type and form of housing within the municipality over the next decade.

The final draft of the Brimbank housing strategy, Home and Housed, has been released for community discussion and comment until May 31.

Open space, public transport, congestion and affordability have been among the key issues raised by residents in the council’s three previous public consultations on the strategy.

The strategy earmarks the Sunshine, St Albans, Sydenham and Deer Park town centres as areas for medium to high density housing.

The council’s chairman, Peter Lewinsky, said the next 10 years would see Brimbank change from an outer growth area of Melbourne to a middle-suburban municipality.

“With the last of the large residential estates filling up, we’ll see a shift to what’s called infill development – that is, housing development on sites within existing urban areas,” he said.

“This will make a profound change in the type of residential development taking place in our municipality.

“Everyone in Brimbank says the character of its residential neighbourhoods is important.

“Population growth and housing demand is inevitable, so we want to protect these areas by directing new housing into specific areas that can accommodate growth.”

Details: brimbank.vic.gov.au