From Red to Green in Housing
The future of housing in Victoria will be driven by planning, affordability, smart design and social interaction. The only way to free up the supply blockade the market’s demand presently faces is to fix the red-tape quagmire for developers, builders and owners.
Planning changes are under way to assist inner and middle urban housing consolidation, but our housing supply targets cannot be achieved without the greenfields and regional cities providing their share, too.
This means overhauling the planning timeline to increase supply, which in turn satisfies demand and creates affordability through competition.
These projects are stalling as developer contribution levies reach eye-watering levels – up to two or three times that of their metropolitan counterparts – not to mention government buckpassing expensive infrastructure it should do itself to developers.
The amount of red tape on new projects is many times what it was 20 years ago. It’s not just holding back new housing, but making it financially impossible to deliver. A better planning regime, combined with smarter thermal designs, would change the housing landscape.
It would make housing more affordable and liveable. It would contribute to healthier lifestyles, stronger community ties, greater energy sustainability and environmental values. And it would significantly reduce the burden on the public purse.
Smart thermal housing via better design can keep household temperatures between 18C and 25C all year round – without aircons or heaters.
Working in tandem with photovoltaic solar cells, thermal homes can reduce household energy bills to virtually zero. They can charge EV cars and EVs can also reverse charge a home.
On top of this, cutting the dreaded heat island effect with tree canopies in streets and back yards can seriously drop temperatures now approaching 50 degrees in summer.
Greener communities will boost biodiversity, helping the environment and its healthy impact on people. Trees also raise property values.
Another important part of the future will be the care factor. More social and health facilities in new neighbourhoods can counter the heavy cost of isolation and loneliness.
Neighbourhoods of the future will have more pools, gyms, playgrounds, gardens, function centres, sport courts. It can all happen. But it can happen sooner if we pull the right levers now.
Published: Herald Sun, 22 February 2026
