Luxury apartments greenlit under Victoria's affordable housing scheme
Luxury apartment developments in Melbourne are receiving fast-tracked approvals under a controversial affordable housing scheme. This program allows developers to contribute cash to a social housing fund instead of including affordable units in their projects. Critics argue that this approach benefits high-end developments while failing to address the need for affordable housing in the community.
- ▪Several luxury apartment projects in Melbourne have been granted fast-tracked planning approval under an affordable housing scheme.
- ▪Developers can avoid including affordable housing by contributing 3 percent of their construction costs to the government's Social Housing Growth Fund.
- ▪Opponents of the scheme argue that it allows developers to bypass local planning rules and gain approvals for high-end projects in affluent areas.
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Contentious developments receiving fast-tracked approval under affordable housing pathwayBy investigative reporter Jesse ThompsonStatelineTopic:Housing PolicyWed 20 May 2026 at 5:03amWed 20 May 2026 at 5:03amWed 20 May 2026 at 5:03amA luxury development in Hawthorn is among several high-end projects granted fast-tracked approval under the scheme. (Supplied: Sun Property Group)In short:Luxury apartment blocks and contentious residential projects are being granted fast-tracked planning approval in Melbourne under a scheme intended to boost affordable housing.The program allows applicants to make a cash contribution to a social housing fund instead of delivering affordable homes.ABC analysis of dozens of planning permits suggests some proponents are using this pathway to secure approval for…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).