City of Port Phillip response to the draft 30-year Infrastructure Strategy for Victoria

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1 Enquiries: Claire Ferres Miles Telephone: (03) File Ref: 58/04/ October 2016 Michel Masson CEO Infrastructure Victoria Level 16, 530 Collins Street MELBOURNE VIC 3000 Dear Mr Masson City of Port Phillip response to the draft 30-year Infrastructure Strategy for Victoria Thank you for the opportunity to provide a response to the draft 30-year Infrastructure Strategy for Victoria ('the draft Strategy'). As you would be aware, Council elections have recently been held and the new Council is yet to be declared. As such this response reflects the views of Council officers, and builds on our previous submissions to Infrastructure Victoria. Overall, City of Port Phillip (CoPP) officers are satisfied that the draft Strategy generally reflects our feedback to date, and we would like to commend Infrastructure Victoria for its thorough and well considered recommendations. Based on our submission to the Options Paper (dated 21 June 2016), I would like to highlight a number of the key items for further improvement, under the following headings: Infrastructure demands in growth areas (need 1) Enable physical activity and participation (need 4) Affordable housing and universal design (needs 6 and 7) Improve access to jobs and services (needs 10 and 11) Water security and waterway health (needs 14 and 17) Waste recovery and landfill (need 15) Natural environments and biodiversity (need 16) Transition to low carbon energy supply (need 18) Infrastructure resilience (need 19). Infrastructure demands in growth areas We welcome the inclusion of the Fishermans Bend Tram Link (recommendation 1.2.1) as a city shaping and catalytic intervention. The delivery of this link is a precondition for the urban renewal of the area, and it will set the conditions for higher quality, higher density development that is required to support the population, employment and liveability targets for Fishermans Bend. Ultimately, the delivery of heavy rail will be required to support the long term land use and employment vision for Fishermans Bend. We welcome the recommendation to undertake planning and investigations for a new rail link between Newport and Clifton Hill (c...ra Carlisle St & Brighton Rd, Fishermans Bend) as a short term priority (recommendation ). St Kilda Victoria 3182 Private Bag No 3, PO St Kilda Victoria 3182, DX Balaclava VIC Phone (03) Facsimile (03) assist@portphillip.vic.gov.au Printed on 160% Australian made recycled paper ABN

2 2 Enable physical activity and participation We welcome the draft Strategy's focus behaviour change, better use of existing assets and the delivery of cycling corridors and walking improvements as short term priorities. The delivery of improvements to our walking and cycling networks needs to focus on improving on current practice rather than just renewal to existing standards. Updating 'standard' designs (such as traditional kerb and channel arrangements) is needed across the state to create universal access and ensure that people with mobility challenges are able to fully participate in society. This should be supported through ongoing introduction of safer speed limits to protect vulnerable road users and create more vibrant places. Affordable Housing and Universal Design Infrastructure Victoria expressed a strong interest in Council providing a supplementary submission on affordable housing and universal design. You have previously acknowledged the high quality of Council's In Our Backyard strategy, which was attached to Council's earlier submission. You also indicated that you wanted to receive further information on Community Land Trusts (CLTs), as that was an option in the draft Options Paper that was not progressed. We understand that you did not have sufficient information on CLTs to assess whether they should be supported in the draft strategy. I trust that the attached supplementary submission clarifies these matters, and naturally we would be happy to elaborate further on any aspect of this if required. Improved access to jobs and services As noted in our previous submission, we welcome the commitment to Melbourne Metro Rail as a city changing project that will provide both capacity and connectivity benefits for CoPP residents and workers. This project also presents an opportunity to provide a range of supporting infrastructure and planning outcomes, including through the delivery of the Park Street Tram Link. This link will provide better connectivity to the western part of the CBD, and support increased transport network resilience (recommendation ). Metro Rail also provides an opportunity to link the St Kilda Road, Albert Road and Dorcas Street strategic cycling corridors with Domain Station, and provide world class end of trip facilities to support bike access to the station (supports recommendations 4.1.1, 4.1.3). Water security and waterway health We welcome the recognition of the need for stronger governance frameworks in the water sector to better enable long term planning around water security (14.1.1) and actions to increase the uptake of recycled water and stormwater harvesting (14.2). We would however suggest that the need to formally incorporate stormwater as a water resource in statutory instruments, and that water resource planning frameworks should not hold back investment in stormwater harvesting in the next 5 years ( and ). Acknowledgement of Water pricing reform undertaken by the Essential Services Commission will also be necessary to incentivise efficient use while not creating a burden on vulnerable customers. Under recommendation , we would suggest rephrasing 'good practice' to 'best practice', as this reflects the wording of current standards (Best Practice Environmental Management (BPEM) Guidelines for stormwater management).

3 3 Waste recovery and landfill Council officers support the response for Need 15. In a dense, inner urban environment, there is a strong opportunity to increase recovery of organic waste, particularly food waste. However with new building design and technologies in waste collection and local waste to energy generation, should be explored. Appropriate and strategic space allocation for advanced waste recovery, reuse and waste to energy generation should be explored in in addition to landfill sites, through interaction with existing waste collection and resource recovery hubs. It is critical that these recommendations and arising actions are pursued in a coordinated manner, particularly with the Regional Waste Management Groups. Natural environments and biodiversity Council officers support the response for Need 16, in particular all items under 16.3 (Renew focus on natural environments and biodiversity outside national parks and other protected areas). Local Government can support the State in the development of a green infrastructure plan that effectively acknowledges local challenges and opportunities, and in implementing actions that facilitate habitat corridors though its tree planting, revegetation and associated programs. Green infrastructure will provide a multiplicity of benefits at a local level across resilience, health and wellbeing, amenity and tourism amongst others. Inner urban areas experience less canopy cover and action to increase these levels is a significant opportunity. Transition to low carbon energy supply We welcome all actions that together work to decarbonise and modernise the electricity grid. However, we believe that recommendation should be used as a starting point for the application of broader sustainable design principles to new buildings. We also support recommendation , noting that any actions under this recommendation should avoid fossil fuel subsidies as they are not economically efficient and do not provide socially optimal outcomes for the community. Infrastructure resilience Council officers support the response to Need 19. For recommendation , the role that local governments can play in identifying local challenges and opportunities to address this action should be noted. For example, the Association of Bayside municipalities represents 10 coastal councils around Port Phillip Bay seeking to address coastal protection objectives. We look forward to further opportunities to engage constructively with you in planning for Victoria's future infrastructure needs. Please feel free to contact me on if you wish to discuss any aspect of our submission. Yours sincerely CLAIRE FERRES MILES General Manager Place Strategy and Development

4 INFRASTRUCTURE VICTORIA VICTORIA S DRAFT 30-YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY October 2016 Supplementary Council officer submission on affordable housing and universal design October 2016 The City of Port Phillip supports the draft affordable housing strategies outlined in Need 7, and the universal design strategy in Need 6. Some of the strategies in Need 7 are also addressed in Council s affordable housing strategy, In Our backyard - Growing Affordable Housing in Port Phillip 2015/ /25. In particular, this includes the following strategies: Public housing refurbishment / rationalisation (increasing investment in the rationalisation and refurbishment of public housing stock through divestment, making fit for purpose and title transfers to the community housing sector) Affordable housing planning mechanisms (establish an incentive based Inclusionary Zoning scheme for development of government land and areas experiencing uplift to land values due to government rezoning and infrastructure provision) Affordable housing plan (development of a state-wide plan for the provision of dedicated affordable housing, as an overarching affordable housing strategy with a full range of interventions, a pipeline of affordable housing assets and identified land provision and funding streams) In addition, the City with qualification supports two other draft strategies: Crisis and transitional accommodation (expanding access to crisis and transitional housing through increasing supply). Council position: While there may some be a need for further crisis and transitional housing, Council s Think + Act Homelessness Action Strategy (refer to link below) recognises that the most effective solution to homelessness is the provision of more long-term affordable housing, integrating this more effectively with social (public and community) housing, and wrapping integrated support services around residents with complex needs. This is the Housing First model that is generally recognised as being the most effective approach to addressing homelessness Universal Design (design all new and upgraded infrastructure to ensure access for people of all abilities through the adoption of universal design principles). 1

5 Council position: Council supports universal access to all infrastructure. Council s earlier submission on the Infrastructure Victoria Options Paper May 2016 welcomed Infrastructure Victoria s inclusion of affordable housing as infrastructure. Further, Council s submission to Submission on the Visitable and Adaptable Features in Housing- Regulatory Impact Statement February 2010, supports universal design features being applied to most new residential development to enhance housing accessibility, visitability and adaptability, given the need to cater for persons with disabilities, persons with injuries, home injuries related to falls and ageing. This submission sought a range of mandatory universal design features for Class 1 (single houses), Class 2 (medium and high density housing) and Class 4 (caretakers dwellings) dwellings: 1. A clear path from the street (or car set-down/park) to the entry level 2. Wider doorways and passages 3. A toilet suitable for people with limited mobility on the entry level; and 4. Reinforced bathroom walls to allow grab rails to be fitted inexpensively if they are needed later. 5. Inclusion of step free showers (for Class 1 and 2 dwellings only). A copy of this submission is attached. Omissions from the Draft 30 Year Infrastructure Strategy There are two omissions that the City wishes Infrastructure Victoria to consider: 1. Capital funding for community housing growth. The draft strategy does not include the need for reintroduction of State capital funding for the development of community housing by registered community housing organisations. This may be a strategy in the forthcoming state affordable housing plan but is worthy of being emphasised. This emphasis recognises that the growth of social housing will largely occur through the growth of community housing, as community housing is: well designed efficient and innovatively developed integrated into local communities well managed and regulated well-resourced with resident support services, where required. Council supports the reintroduction of a State joint venture funding program targeting registered Housing Associations and Housing Providers that are developers. This reintroduction is necessary as the community housing sector is still relatively small, requiring further capital funding support to reach a critical size threshold and be able to increase supply using their own resources and debt finance. This will compliment Council s role in supporting the growth of community housing in Port Phillip through making cash and property contributions (valued at $30 million over the period 2015/ /25) through an expression of interest process that preferences local registered community housing organisations (refer to Policy 1 in Council s In Our Backyard strategy provided in it s earlier submission). 2. Support for the establishment of Community Land Trusts. The earlier Options Paper included the option of promoting the formation of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) targeting moderate income households, through funding further research and subsidising provision of land. It is understood from the Options Paper and the 12 October 2016 housing sector briefing on the Draft 30 Year Infrastructure Strategy, that this option was not recommended due to insufficient information on CLTs. 2

6 Council position: Council s In Our Backyard strategy supports - Redevelopment of social housing sites that establishes mixed housing outcomes, including public housing, community housing, Community Land Trusts and private housing (refer to Policy 3). - Research on how an Australian CLT sector can be established (refer to Policy 7). Community Land Trusts, as a form of shared equity housing, will help create a continuum of affordable housing products that addresses the broadening of the housing affordability problem, through the creation of perpetually affordable home ownership. This will help address the bottleneck in the housing system created by households, who are unable to afford home ownership, being forced to permanently rent, which increases the price of rent and housing stress, reduces rental availability and increases demand for social housing. Council has been a research partner with The University of Western Sydney, which is producing The Australian Community Land Trust Manual 2013 (refer to link below), and a companion manual on bank finance and case studies being finalised in late This manual, and the forthcoming companion manual, provide / will provide detailed guidance for the establishment of a CLT sector in Australia. The State could address the following barriers to the establishment of CLTs that this work has identified: Providing access to State land, such as underutilised public housing estates that could be redeveloped for, say, mixed public, community and CLT housing by interested community housing developer organisations. Government support for initial bank finance, such as a government guarantee, to enable initial bank lending while banks become familiar with lending to purchasers under a 99 year lease from the CLT for the dwelling only (excluding the underlying land owned by the CLT). Government amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act to remove the restrictions on termination of leases within five years under clause 6 (1) of the Act (for CLT leases of more than 5 years duration) pdf For further information on this submission, please contact: Gary Spivak Housing Development officer T: E: gspivak@portphillip.vic.gov.au 3