City’s dense plan

Hamish Heard
Owners of property close to shopping strips will be eligible to carve their blocks into smaller slices if City Hall approves a new housing policy.
A City spokesperson confirmed councillors would vote next week on whether to display a new “medium density housing strategy” for public consultation.
Adoption of the policy would provide a boon for some homeowners who would be allowed to subdivide blocks to develop multiple townhouses, units or apartments.
The plan is set for fierce opposition, with a survey by regional council lobby organisation G21 finding that most respondents opposed any proposal to cram more homes into built-up areas.
Council planning portfolio-holder Rod Macdonald yesterday specified areas close to Belmont’s High Street and Geelong West’s Pakington Street as among sites earmarked in the strategy.
“It would be spread across the city, so it would apply to most major activity areas,” Cr Macdonald said.
“Already there has been significant demand for unit development in the city around activity centres.”
Cr Macdonald said forecast growth pressures meant “in-fill” development was necessary to increase the amount of available homes close to essential services.
“Belmont is an area which, as we know, has been under a lot of pressure from development because it’s well serviced by shops and public transport, so people want to be there,” he said.
“There are other areas around Geelong that fit that mould.”
G21 project manager Rob McHenry said the Geelong region only achieved 1.38 per cent of new homes through in-fill development each year.
“When you look elsewhere around Australia, where they’re looking at 15 to 20 per cent, that figure is extraordinarily low,” he said.
Changing demographics due to Australia’s ageing population and a decrease in the average number of occupants per household had forced a rethink on housing density, Mr McHenry said.
He believed that the Geelong region should have an average of 15 housing lots per hectare but was sitting on an average of 10.
Cr Macdonald said information sessions would give residents a chance to provide feedback on the strategy.
The council vote follows a conference in Geelong this week on revitalising central city areas.
City Hall will run a press conference tomorrow to announce the housing density plan.