07/12/2025
Lobby MPs for an inquiry before it's too late. Use Hampton neighbourhood association's Auto Mailer to assist you.
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐-๐
๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ; ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ฌ
Victoria stands on the edge of a planning free-for-all. The Allan Governmentโs bid to weaken or override long-standing restrictive covenants is being marketed as โmodernisation,โ yet the reality is far starker. Removing these protections will open the door to uncontrolled density, the erosion of neighbourhood character and a wave of development that will push local infrastructure beyond breaking point.
For generations, restrictive covenants have acted as a vital pressure valve in Melbourneโs planning landscape. They were deliberately crafted agreements between landowners that set expectations about density, streetscape and liveability. In suburbs such as Reservoirโs Merrilands Estate, Balwyn, Camberwell and Croydon, covenants have protected sunlight, privacy, open space and the low-density character that residents bought into. They have provided certainty where planning schemes were too broad, too political or too easily amended to safeguard neighbourhoods from overdevelopment.
๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ.
The consequences will be rapid and irreversible. Medium-density projects, including dual occupancies, triplexes and six-pack developments, will appear across streets never designed to support such intensity. Roads that already clog at peak hour will grind to a standstill. Ageing drainage systems will fail under pressure. Schools, parks, healthcare services and community facilities will be overwhelmed.
At the same time, councils will quietly benefit from a steady rise in rates income as more dwellings are approved on previously single-lot properties. Yet there will be no requirement for this increased revenue to be reinvested into essential infrastructure. Instead of upgraded roads, functioning drains, improved footpaths or expanded green space, residents will likely see the money diverted into political passion projects. These are the art installations, boutique precincts, branding exercises and so-called legacy structures that generate headlines but burden councils with long-term debt and maintenance costs.
๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ. ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ.
Victoria undoubtedly needs more housing, but this should not come at the cost of transforming stable suburbs into congested, overbuilt zones that resemble the most overcrowded parts of the United Kingdom. Covenants have quietly shielded Melbourne from precisely this fate. Removing them will not produce thoughtful, sustainable density. It will invite a development free-for-all that undermines community expectations, overloads public infrastructure and dilutes every measure of liveability that residents rely upon.
The government may describe covenants as outdated.
Many Victorians recognise them as essential.
(Disclosure: Council Watch President Mr Hurlston has been involved in Supreme Court Action in 2021 in which Mr Townsend represented the Council against Mr Hurlston.
Mr Hurlston subsequently has maintained a cordial and respectful dialogue with Mr Townsend. Mr Hurlston personally endorses the statements Mr Townsend makes).
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-suburbs-ringfenced-from-development-and-why-that-s-about-to-change-20251204-p5nkrv.html
