Melbourne's Growing Revolt Against The City's Development Plan

Is Melbourne experiencing a populist revolt against the city's smart growth Melbourne 2030 development plan?

1 minute read

November 23, 2005, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Welch estimates that 42 per cent of candidates in eastern suburbs council elections are opposed to the plan or key components of the planning policy. "It seems the eastern suburbs [are] littered with council candidates who are taking a populist position with residential development, practising a form of nimbyism," he complains...

What has gone wrong? Well, for one thing, a lot of the citizens who are supposed to put up with higher density development in their suburbs don't care for it at all. For another, a lot of the ageing baby boomers who are supposed to move conveniently out of their houses into high-rise apartments located in "activity centres" based on public transport and shopping hubs don't like that idea much either."

"...The declaration of urban development boundaries also started a land rush by developers and delivered massive property price gains to those lucky enough to own land inside the boundary, while their neighbours across the road looked enviously on."

Thanks to Hugh Pavletich

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 in The Australian

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