Labor's SRL housing plan: sky-high towers with pie-in-the-sky planning
The Allan Labor Government has today unveiled plans to cram 70,000 new homes into suburbs along the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) corridor, locking thousands of families into high-rise towers without the infrastructure or consultation to support them.
Shadow Minister for Planning Richard Riordan slammed the announcement, warning that Labor is handing down sweeping changes with no real say for the communities impacted.
"Labor is making sweeping decisions that will fundamentally change the look, feel, character, and use of Melbourne for generations—without asking the people who call these communities home," Mr Riordan said.
"Once again, this government is making backroom decisions that will reshape Melbourne's suburbs, without addressing the real issues stopping new housing—crippling taxes, planning delays, and their own failure to build on underutilised government land."
Under the plan, suburbs like Box Hill, Glen Waverley, Clayton, and Cheltenham will be re-zoned to accommodate towering developments, with some streets marked for buildings up to 20 storeys high.
Despite the government's claims of consultation, communities have been kept in the dark, with residents only now discovering the scale of what's being planned for their suburbs. Meanwhile, the government continues to ignore the biggest barriers to housing supply, including land tax hikes, stamp duty costs, and construction costs that make projects unviable.
"This isn't about smart planning—this is about Labor's desperation to justify their multibillion-dollar Suburban Rail Loop, a project Victorians neither voted for nor can afford," Mr Riordan said.
"If the government was serious about delivering housing, it would start by cutting the taxes and red tape strangling development, instead of forcing through high-density towers that will overwhelm local roads, schools, and services."
Labor's own release admits that planning scheme amendments won't even be finalised until 2026, meaning years of uncertainty for families, homeowners, and businesses in these areas. Meanwhile, heritage, character, and liveability concerns are being ignored in the rush to push through more high-rise developments.
The Liberals and Nationals believe in sensible housing reform that actually delivers more homes by fixing planning delays, unlocking government land, and cutting the taxes that make housing unaffordable. Instead of imposing unwanted changes from Spring Street, we will work with local communities to ensure growth is done properly—without destroying the character and liveability of our suburbs.
