MEMBER for Northern Victoria Region Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell has called on the State Government to make it easier for regional councils to rezone land for residential developments.
Speaking during the adjournment debate in State Parliament, Mrs Tyrrell said job-creating regional projects that are attracting new workers into country Victoria are putting further pressure on housing availability and called on Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to take action to expediate land rezoning practices.
“We all know of the current housing availability crisis throughout Victoria and this is exacerbated by workers moving into regional areas to work on important projects,” Mrs Tyrrell said.
“These workers need somewhere to live in order to work on important projects that are generating millions of dollars for local economies.”
In her contribution, Mrs Tyrrell spoke of VHM’s Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project at Goschen, which is expected to generate more than $2.1B to the local Loddon Mallee economy. It is estimated that throughout its projected 20-to-30-year life span the project will create an initial 250 construction jobs and then an additional 400 jobs once it is fully operational.
Mrs Tyrrell said with the housing availability in regional Victoria already at a critical point, it was essential that rezoning processes were made easier for local councils to open up more land for residential development and requested Ms Kilkenny take action on the issue.
