Coalition pledges to unlock 50,000 housing lots in regional Victoria

By Max Stainkamph

Nov 11, 2022

Undoing red tape: Liberal candidate for Shepparton Cheryl Hammer, Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy and Nationals candidate for Shepparton Kim O'Keeffe. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

The Victorian Coalition has pledged it will help unlock 50,000 lots from bureaucratic limbo in regional Victoria to help create more homes and ease housing pressure should it win the state election on November 26.

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Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy was in Shepparton to make the announcement and said it followed election promises to scratch stamp duty on homes worth $1 million or less for 2023 and unlock land on Melbourne’s fringe.

“There are places like Shepparton where the city is hugely short on new lots and that means prices are going through the roof and people can’t get into their first home,” he said.

Mr Guy said the land was waiting in limbo and would be approved all across the state.

“I want to do everything possible to encourage people to have the chance to buy a home for the first time.”

Set it free: Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said Echuca had taken too long to unlock housing. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“You can't buy a home if there's no land available to do so if there's no homes on the market.”

When asked about whether low-cost houses would be made available, Mr Guy said many councils had requirements to include social housing in new developments.

“That's a really strong and positive partnership that we want to have with the development industry ... that social housing component which is an important part of our growth theory market outside of Melbourne,” Mr Guy said.

Member for Murray Plains and Nationals leader Peter Walsh said every council he had met with over the past four years said they were constrained by a lack of land supply for subdivision because of planning restrictions.

“In my home town of Echuca it’s taken five years to get a new subdivision done. It shouldn’t take five years to get it done.”