Henry Mayell’s Post

Developing better standards for apartments, then increasing their supply by expanding use of the Residential Growth Zone will unlock more housing choices for Victorians and make better use of our infrastructure. The Business Council of Australia is calling for extensive rezoning across Melbourne and major regional towns to encourage more medium- and high-density housing to be built near infrastructure and services Annika Smethurst reports in The Age today - https://lnkd.in/gYcvEzec Making greater use of the existing Residential Growth Zone mechanism in areas near public transport and services would be a good start. And we should combine this with clearer standards and design guidance on low-rise apartments in the Victorian Planning Provisions. Check out 'Our Home Choices' from Infrastructure Victoria for more detailed evidence, analysis and policy recommendations - https://lnkd.in/eeaNi4rb #housing #choices #zoning #reform #infrastructure

One of the policy changes that Infrastructure Victoria can make to improve housing affordability and fairness is to ask for rental property investors to pay commercial property taxes. As a business activity it seems only fair they pay business taxes. The additional taxes can be used to fund more affordable housing and social housing infrastructure.

It’s April which means all eyes are on the City of Calgary’s proposed Rezoning plan. The plan aims to provide more housing options across the city, reduce costs, and cut down on the TIME required for permit approvals. Essentially, it's changing the zoning code to allow for the opportunity to build more dwellings per lot (see the link within to know how your property may be affected). It's important to note that building permits are still required before construction. It is no surprise that Calgary is growing, the fastest in all of Canada actually, and with that comes the pressure to change and keep up as we go through this incredible growth phase that other cities, like Toronto and Vancouver, have experienced for years. It would be best to do this while honouring the infrastructure of our city right now and its plan for years to come. For example, my neighbourhood is prime for rezoning as it is inner city, already has all 4 property categories, and plenty of old bungalows on large lots that could house redevelopment for multiple dwellings, which we are seeing already. Yet, my neighbourhood is not all of Calgary. Calgary and it's surrounding towns are going to evolve no matter what the Rezoning conclusion may be. Whether you are pro or against the proposed Rezoning, it’s important to be informed. You can see in the link here how your neighbourhood and property could be affected. https://lnkd.in/gVAyvUig #calgaryrezoning #yyzrezoning #yyc #Calgary #realtor

Exciting news from the property and housing sector! Check out the latest article on news.com.au where our Managing Director, Steve Abbott shares his insights on Australia's ambitious goal to build 1.2 million new homes within the next 5 years. Steve Abbott warns of potential challenges, highlighting that this rapid development could lead to a 'ticking time bomb' effect. His thoughtful analysis sheds light on the delicate balance between meeting housing demands and maintaining quality. Dive into Steve Abbott's expert perspective here: https://lnkd.in/g4jxd3Gb Article by Shannon Molloy #HousingMarket #RealEstate #SJA #SteveAbbott #UrbanDevelopment #AustraliaHousing #NewsUpdate #News

The ALP Minns State Govt of NSW is taking steps to reduce a wide range of impediments. Today's announcement is a good step; however, in itself, it will not solve the chronic shortage of affordable apartments across Metropolitan Sydney, let alone meet the current shortage of around 25,000 inclusive quality residential grade mid-rise apartments per year required annually for the foreseeable future. Current custom construction methods are building around 10,000 apartments per year in Metropolitan Sydney over the next 3 years. A fast-track solution, the fast-to-market solution, is lacking and requires a significantly less skilled workforce on site because over 20,000 tradies left NSW last year. They, too, need affordable rental accommodation, and the State has the worst shortfall of enough availability in history. The Thrive Alliance's expertise is over 100,000 CLT major urban reference projects worldwide with Engineered wood into Cross Laminated Timber construction with great design, detailing and finishes, minimising expensive building materials waste going to landfills, which is unsustainable and making housing more expensive. The Thrive Alliance's capabilities are up to 40,000 "inclusive" quality residential grade mid-rise apartments per year for the next 5-7 years in Australia, led a proven "Placemaker" over the decades in all my previous major urban projects won at either State or Local Governments tenders with no mandatory requirements just through my initiative and sense of social responsibility setting aside between 30% to 50% for affordable housing, all these previous major urban projects have achieved above-average capital growth for decades and are tightly held. The Mayor of London requires that up to 50% of all London Council surplus land sold off suitable for residential use be set aside for affordable housing. To date, this policy has yielded over 30,000 affordable dwellings. #ThriveAlliance #AffordableHousing #CLT #SydneyHousingCrisis #fasttomarket #sustainability #inclusiveness #residentialgrade #midrise #townhouses #Harropfactor #advancedmodular #fasttrack

Good to contribute to the conversation with Simon Johanson from #theage today about the supply of affordable housing in Australian cities, which has reached a crisis. With construction cost escalation over the last few years well above inflation, development feasibilities simplify don't work at the affordable end of the market. Governments need to incentivise development, without compromising on livability, to accelerate much-needed supply of affordable & social housing. #affordablehousing https://lnkd.in/gA9y54FD

The missing middle in inclusive residential-grade mid-rise apartments and townhouses is a challenge in Australia due to the lack of "inclusive policies" governing the use and sale of surplus land by the Federal, State and Local Governments across Australia Public Land suitable for residential use. In contrast, the Mayor of London mandates up to 50% of such land for affordable housing, resulting in over 30,000 affordable dwellings on surplus land sold off suitable for residential use. As a proven "Placemaker" with a track record of winning tenders for major urban projects, I have voluntarily set aside 30% to 50% for affordable housing, leading to above-average capital growth and long-term value retention in all my previous major urban projects with no mandatory requirements, just through my initiative and sense of "social responsibility." All my previous major urban projects have achieved above-average capital growth for decades and are tightly held. Also missing across Australia today is a fast-track solution, a fast-to-market solution instead of relying upon slow, inefficient custom construction methods with vast shortages of tradies, a more sustainable solution in advanced modular construction platforms built from Renewable plantation forest trees into Cross Laminated Timber construction with great design, detailing and finishes minimising expensive building materials waste going to landfills which is unsustainable. The Thrive Alliance's expertise is over 100,000 CLT major urban reference projects worldwide, all of which use Engineered wood in Cross-Laminated Timber construction. #Harropfactor #Placemaker #SocialResponsibility #Inclusiveness #residentialgrade #midrise #townhouses. #ThriveAlliance #AffordableHousing #CLT #SydneyHousingCrisis #fasttomarket #sustainability #ThriveConstruct #EssentialWorkers

What is holding back the delivery of residential buildings in the "housing crisis"? Perhaps it is a lack of skilled labour and management, which has resulted in an ever increasing plethora of defects impacting home owners and investors alike undermining confidence in the market? Are the government settings (State and Federal) relevant and at all feasible against this backdrop? Have a read of SJA Managing Director, Steve Abbott',s experienced and learned viewpoints in the interview included in article attached. My view is we have a system which as currently structured is not capable of delivering to government policy or aspiration without a substantive and pragmatic long term overhaul of the residential construction industry and associated supply chain. Thoughts??

You’ve probably heard the buzzword “missing middle housing,” but what exactly does it mean? Essentially, it refers to the types of housing that fall between single-family homes and larger apartment buildings, typically including duplexes, triplexes, and up to three-story walk-ups. The term “missing middle” stems from the fact that, for a long time, it was much simpler and more economical to build single-family homes. Anything more complex, like a duplex, was almost as complicated and costly as constructing a six-story condo development. The economies of scale just weren’t there, making these types of housing less appealing for developers. However, things are changing. Governments are reducing red tape and promoting the development of missing middle housing, making it a more viable and attractive option. That’s why you’re seeing more of these projects pop up recently. Here in Victoria, we focus on missing middle housing because it’s now becoming economically viable and addresses a crucial need for diverse housing options. Let me know what questions you have about Missing Middle, and I would love to answer them! #MissingMiddleHousing #VictoriaBC #SustainableLiving #UrbanDevelopment #CommunityGrowth #HousingSolutions #EcoFriendlyLiving #VictoriaBCRealEstate #LandDevelopmentVictoria #InvestInVictoria #VictoriaBCInvestments #EcoFriendlyHousing #RealEstateOpportunities #SustainableDevelopment #GreenHousingProjects #PropertyInvestments #RealEstatePartners #DevelopWithDale #VictoriaPropertyDeals #InvestmentPartners #FutureOfHousing #VictoriaBCGrowth #HousingInnovations #EcoInvesting #VictoriaBCProjects #RealEstateInvestors #CollaborativeDevelopment

Great points by Marjorie and in the article. There are lots of genuine problems in the planning system (and I’ve spent much of the last two decades writing about them) but I’m very tired of a) planning and development industry commentary on housing supply that is basically speaking to narrow sectoral interests rather than genuinely working though what the actual issues are; and b) finger-pointing at councils when so many of the most critical levers are held by the state government.