Independent expert analysis

This collection brings together reports, articles and presentations from planning professionals, local government, heritage organisations, academic research and independent experts. While perspectives differ, these resources share a common focus on delivering well-planned housing growth that is evidence-based, protects Victoria’s liveability and earns community confidence.

Charter 29

Charter 29 is a group of environment professionals who believe that planning in Victoria is failing in many of it’s fundamentals.

Charter 29 website. (Visit)
Providing Future Housing for Victorians. Charter 29 – April 2025 (Read)

Presents Charter 29’s alternative vision for meeting Victoria’s housing needs. Prepared by planning, urban design and architectural professionals, the report outlines practical reforms to improve housing supply while preserving democratic planning processes, neighbourhood character, heritage, environmental values and community participation.
“Reforming the Reforms”. Charter 29. (Read)

This report is Charter 29’s comprehensive response to the Victorian Government’s planning reforms. Written by leading planning, urban design and architectural professionals, the report argues that Victoria can deliver more housing while preserving democratic planning processes, neighbourhood character, heritage and environmental values. Rather than opposing housing, it presents more than 40 practical recommendations aimed at achieving genuinely affordable homes through better planning, stronger community engagement and evidence-based reform.
How the Property Industry has Captured the Victorian Labor Party. Charter 29 – May 2025 (Read)

A concise guide to the Victorian Government’s planning reforms. It provides an easy-to-follow overview of the key planning scheme amendments, new zones and approval pathways, explaining how the reforms affect activity centres, residential neighbourhoods and planning decision-making. Designed as a quick reference, it helps readers navigate a complex and rapidly evolving planning system.
The great housing con is turning Melbourne into an Asian-style megacity. Michael Buxton & David Hayward. The Age – 7 August 2024 (Read)

This opinion article argues that Victoria’s planning reforms will fundamentally reshape Melbourne’s established suburbs. It examines the authors’ concerns about planning deregulation, housing supply, infrastructure, heritage protection and the loss of community participation.

Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)

The MAV is the official voice for local government in Victoria.

Local Government Position: Planning Amendment Bill 2025. Municipal Association of Victoria – 6 November 2025 (Read)

A comprehensive local government analysis of the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025. The report supports the need for planning reform while recommending changes to strengthen transparency, democratic accountability, environmental protection, affordable housing and collaboration between State and local government.
Bill to rewrite Planning Act must be scrutinised in order to deliver homes Victorians need. Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) – 28 October 2025 (Read)

The Municipal Association of Victoria calls for parliamentary scrutiny of the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025, arguing that major planning reforms should not proceed without consultation with local government. The media release highlights concerns about public trust, affordable housing, environmental resilience and the need for genuine state–local government partnership.

Heritage Bodies

Joint Statement on Victorian Planning Reforms. Royal Historical Society of Victoria – 10 July 2025 (Read)

A joint statement from the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria supporting increased housing supply while calling for planning reforms that also protect heritage, neighbourhood character and green spaces. The statement outlines practical recommendations for achieving well-designed housing growth without sacrificing Victoria’s historic places and liveable communities.
5 Reasons why the TIMBY Approach is Best. National Trust – 11 December 2024 (Read)

Rather than framing planning as a choice between NIMBY and YIMBY, this article presents the TIMBY (Thoughtfully In My Back Yard) approach. It argues that thoughtful, place-based planning can accommodate new housing while respecting heritage, local character and the qualities that make neighbourhoods distinctive.
Call to Heritage Action. Royal Historical Society of Victoria – 25 November 2024 (Read)

In this open letter, the Royal Historical Society of Victoria urges historical societies and community groups to engage with the Victorian Government’s proposed planning reforms. It argues that increased housing should be accompanied by stronger heritage protections and provides a template letter to help residents advocate for planning reforms that integrate housing growth with heritage conservation.
Myth Busting Heritage: “Older buildings are not environmentally sustainable”. National Trust of Australia – 18 October 2024 (Read)

This article challenges the common misconception that older buildings are inherently environmentally unsustainable. Drawing on research into embodied carbon, adaptive reuse and climate resilience, it argues that conserving and retrofitting existing buildings can often deliver better environmental outcomes than demolition and new construction.
Heritage and the New Housing Zones. Royal Historical Society of Victoria – 26 August 2024 (View)

Presentations from a public forum exploring the impact of Victoria’s new housing zones on heritage places and neighbourhood character. Speakers include planning and heritage experts Scott Walker (Boroondara Council), Nigel Lewis and Professor Michael Buxton, who examine the challenges of balancing housing growth with heritage conservation.

Evidence on housing supply and affordability

These reports have informed the analysis presented throughout this website. They represent independent research and policy analysis from academic institutions, parliamentary research services and government advisory bodies.

Planners aren’t to blame for housing crisis. Planning Institute of Australia. Australian Financial Review – 16 July 2025 (Read)

Argues that blaming planners for Australia’s housing crisis ignores the wider economic and market constraints affecting housing delivery. The article points to the large volume of already approved housing that has not proceeded because of rising construction costs, labour shortages, financing difficulties and feasibility concerns, while also explaining the broader role planning plays in coordinating housing with infrastructure, environmental protection and community needs.
Can ceding planning controls for major projects support metropolitan housing supply and diversity? The case of Sydney, Australia. Land Use Policy (2021). Nicole Gurran, Catherine Gilbert & Peter Phibbs. (Read)

Examines whether relaxing planning controls for major housing projects increases housing supply and diversity. Drawing on evidence from Sydney, the authors question whether bypassing established planning processes delivers the housing outcomes governments expect, highlighting the importance of market conditions, implementation and complementary housing policies.
Time is Money: How Landbanking Constrains Housing Supply. Journal of Housing Economics (2020). Cameron K. Murray. (Read)

Examines how land banking influences housing supply and development timing in Australia. The paper argues that developers often stage or delay housing production in response to commercial considerations and concludes that increasing planning capacity does not necessarily lead to additional housing being built.
The economics of housing supply: Key concepts and issues. Parliamentary Research Service – Parliament of New South Wales (Research Paper 7/2024) (Read)

This independent Parliamentary Research Service paper reviews economic research on housing supply and the factors that influence housing delivery. It concludes that planning is only one part of a much more complex housing system involving finance, construction costs, labour availability, infrastructure, market conditions and developer feasibility. It also examines the evidence on planning reform and housing affordability.
State of the Housing System 2025. National Housing Supply and Affordability Council – 2025 (Read)

Provides an independent assessment of Australia’s housing system, examining housing supply, affordability and the factors influencing housing delivery. The report concludes that housing outcomes are shaped by a complex interaction of planning, construction costs, labour availability, finance, infrastructure and market conditions, and warns that current policy settings are unlikely to achieve national housing supply targets.
Housing supply responsiveness in Australia: Distribution, drivers and institutional settings. AHURI Final Report No. 281, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute – 2017 (Read)

This report examines the factors that influence housing supply across Australia and reviews the evidence on the role of planning, market conditions and institutional settings. It concludes that planning is only one component of a much broader housing system and cautions against assuming that planning reform alone will substantially increase housing supply.
Subsidised Affordable Rental Housing: Lessons from Australia and Overseas. (AHURI Final Report No. 267). Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute – 2016 (Read)

Examines Australian and international approaches to delivering subsidised affordable rental housing. The report considers the policy settings, government investment, subsidies and institutional arrangements needed to expand affordable housing supply, demonstrating that market housing production alone does not ensure homes affordable to lower-income households.

Other experts

Preservation or Progress? Rethinking Heritage Overlays. Sam D’Amico – 12 September 2025 (Read)

This opinion article explores the tension between increasing housing supply and protecting heritage in areas affected by Victoria’s new planning reforms. Rather than advocating a blanket approach, it weighs the arguments for and against removing Heritage Overlays and concludes that place-by-place, evidence-based decision-making offers the most balanced path forward.