The Allan Labor Government has stepped in to ensure hundreds of good quality homes can be built in Coburg.
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has intervened to approve 245 new homes at the former Pentridge Prison site which had been held up at the council level for three years.
This approval will ensure the project does not get stuck in VCAT and hundreds of good quality homes for families and young Victorians can get built.
These new homes will form part of the revitalisation of the former Pentridge Prison into a sustainable and vibrant precinct located close to Coburg Station, tram stops, five schools, parks and playgrounds, shops and a cinema.
The development will feature 11 and 12-storey residential buildings containing a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, underground parking and bicycle spaces and new open spaces.
The Labor Government is focused on fast-tracking well-planned developments in areas where Victorians have said they want to live - close to public transport, jobs, and services.
Since the release of the Housing Statement, the Minister for Planning has used her powers to intervene or fast-track homes to approve 10,700 homes in 12 months - a more than 100 per cent increase on previous years.
This includes through the Development Facilitation Program, which streamlines the planning process for shovel-ready projects to create more homes for families and young Victorians.
Under this program more than 2,000 homes have been fast-tracked since the Housing Statement, including 365 new homes on the site of a former University of Melbourne campus in Hawthorn last month and 62 affordable homes in Frankston in August.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released earlier this month has shown Victoria continues to build and approve thousands more homes than any other state in the country.
As stated by Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny
"We've stepped in to ensure hundreds of homes are built at this great location in Coburg because we know homes don't get built when they're held up."
"We'll work with councils to make good decisions faster, but everyone needs to be working towards the same goal: more homes for Victorians - close to jobs, transport and services."
As stated by Member for Pasco Vale Anthony Cianflone
"The Allan Labor Government proudly continues to drive the revitalisation of Central Coburg through this latest housing approval.
By continuing to unlock and rehabilitate the former Pentridge Prison site, we're working to solidify Central Coburg as a jobs, skills, cultural and housing hub for Melbourne's north"
