My adjournment is to the Minister for Planning, and I warmly ask the minister to join me in the Northcote electorate to speak with members of my community about some of the planning challenges we are facing in the inner north. Northcote, like so many other parts of Melbourne, is grappling with the housing crisis, and there are many planning matters that are of immediate and paramount importance to us. What makes the inner north so precious and unique is hard to pin down because there is an intangible magic to our suburbs. We are a vibrant mix of creativity and culture, proudly diverse, hardworking and adaptive. We have beautiful open spaces, access to public transport, great schools, unique and eclectic shopping precincts and amenities that make it a wonderful place to live. And it turns out it is not just me that thinks so highly of our patch – in 2021 Northcote topped the list of Melbourne’s most livable suburbs. But with these assets comes the challenge of balancing our growth with preserving our livability and our distinct and cherished inner-north character.
Like most members in this place, I hear every day from locals in my community voicing differing views on issues like heritage, sustainability, density, open space, tree canopy, improving amenities, increasing services and the critical need for more housing choices. Striking the right balance is critical, which is why I invite the minister to Northcote to engage with residents, hear their diverse perspectives and get a thorough understanding of the complexities that face our inner-urban suburbs.
Victoria’s population is set to pass 11 million people by the middle of the 2050s, and many of those people are expected to be living in Melbourne’s inner and outer north. That means we need clear and considered planning that leverages our strengths and creates opportunity and prosperity in our suburbs. The government’s world-leading commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2045 also presents an exciting opportunity to embed sustainability into every facet of the planning process – an opportunity our Labor government seized last week when we announced an end to all gas connections in new buildings starting from next year. Alongside of all of this, we are continuing to deliver what matters for the inner north. We are upgrading schools, we are building better parks and modern transport links and we are protecting our biodiversity through initiatives like the $10 million Green Links Fund, which is there to protect our precious waterways which border the electorate of Northcote. I look forward to welcoming the minister to Northcote when her schedule permits.
