GROWING OUR REGIONS
3 May 2024
Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) has welcomed the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council’s
State of the Housing System 2024 report released today.
RCV was particularly keen to see the report highlight reforms to address a lack of enabling
infrastructure (8.1.4, p154) as a key element to one of the 10 areas that would increase housing
supply.
In its submissions to both Federal and State Budgets this year, RCV called on governments to fund
enabling, or trunk infrastructure to help unlock more land for housing.
RCV acknowledges and welcomes the Federal Government’s $500 million Housing Support Fund
announced in March but has called for the State Government to match that with a new $250 million
fund for new dwellings across regional Victoria, using proceeds from the Government’s Windfall Gains
Tax.
More than 40 houses need to be built in the regions every single day for the next 10 years to meet the
Victorian Government’s Housing Statement targets.
RCV has suggested that developers help pay for this, but water and sewerage infrastructure cannot be
included in Developer Contributions Plans in Victoria and no commitment has been made to revise
eligibility requirements.
RCV is the peak body for regional Victoria, comprising of the 10 largest cities of Ballarat, Bendigo,
Geelong, Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool, and Wodonga.
Collectively, these cities are home to more than 800,000 Victorians, and contribute to approximately
10 per cent of Victoria’s economy.
Quotes to attribute to RCV Chair, Cr Shane Sali, Mayor of Greater Shepparton:
“We absolutely want to make it quicker, easier, and cheaper for people to build their home in regional
Victoria.”
“We’ve got the space to grow, but the need for utilities for these areas – such as new water pipes or
bigger sewage plants – is stopping development.”
“Local governments are keen to play their role in unlocking land supply – it means more homes and
more jobs for our regions – but the lack of pipes and water is holding back local businesses and making
the housing crisis worse.”
CASE STUDIES
Bendigo: Calder Hwy Maiden Gully signalised intersection ($7m for 2,093 new homes)
Two residential subdivisions and a new supermarket in Maiden Gully are not able to proceed until the
junction of Calder Highway and Maiden Gully Rd is signalised – estimated at $7m. Signalisation of this
intersection will immediately unlock land for 141 new homes in a key growth area in Bendigo and
enable a further 1,952 new homes thereafter.
Latrobe: Lake Narracan Intersection Projects ($TBD for 3,700 new homes)
Several intersections are required to support the release of land within the Lake Narracan Precinct
Structure Plan area in Moe/Newborough. Council is currently seeking funding of $3m to support the
cost of commissioning traffic modelling, detailed design, and approval of the intersections, to unlock
3,700 new homes.
Geelong: Northern and Western Geelong Growth Area ($TBD for >160 new homes)
Unlocking more developable land in NWGGA if an online system lifecycle management analysis is done
for the City to support an online drainage system. The current Creamery Road PSP demonstrates that
this could deliver an increase in net developable of 16 Hectares of land.
Shepparton: Water mains in Kialla and Kialla West growth areas ($3.9m for 7,000+ new homes)
Development within the Kialla North and Kialla West precincts (>700 ha) depends on new water
infrastructure along the Goulburn Valley Highway corridor. Unless dedicated additional funding is
made available, the 5km of new water pipes needed will not be built until 2032 – at least 4 years after
population projections indicate new homes in this area are needed.
Wodonga: Trunk Sewer Upgrade project ($50m to accommodate growth to 2040)
Based on current growth rates the capacity of Wodonga’s ‘No.1 Sewer Pumping Station’ will be met in
the very near future. Without 5.4km of large diameter gravity sewer along with a new pumping
station, opportunities for future development and economic growth in the city and surrounds will be
significantly restricted.
Wangaratta: ($23.7m for 3250 new homes)
• Clarks Lane housing development ($7m for 350 new homes) A $7m investment in sewerage
treatment infrastructure will unlock 350 residential lots.
• South Growth Area ($9.1m for 700 new homes) Trunk drainage infrastructure to the value of
$4.4m together with main road infrastructure to the value of $4.7 with unlock 700 new
residential lots.
• North West Growth Area ($5m for 2,000 new homes) Trunk drainage infrastructure to the
value of $5m with help unlock 2000 new residential lots.
• Former Ovens College site ($2.6m for 200 new homes) A $2.6m investment in sewerage
treatment infrastructure will unlock 200 new dwellings.
Media: Emily Broadbent 0413 133 627
