Delacombe Development – Ministerial Response
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Original adjournment matter from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –
My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, and the action that I seek is that the minister come to my electorate of Wendouree to see how we are progressing the Delacombe master plan and the Big Housing Build construction.
In 2018 I welcomed the announcement that $10 million would be invested into a neighbourhood in Delacombe as part of the regional estate revitalisation project. Then in 2021 the Big Housing Build announced a budget increase totalling $50.3 million to the Delacombe project to deliver more than 150 new homes for my community. This investment will be transformative for the Delacombe neighbourhood. The redevelopment will include a range of dwellings, including one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, responding to the changing needs of households in Ballarat and across Victoria.
I welcome that a minimum of 5 per cent of the new social housing homes will have easy access for Victorians with a disability. This will improve the quality of life for people living with disability, with accessible kitchens, bathrooms and storage as well as drop-off areas, paths and car parking.
The new homes will have a minimum silver rating from Livable Housing Australia. The design of the homes will be environmentally efficient, making them less expensive to heat and cool, carrying a 5-star Green Star rating and a 7-star NatHERS average rating.
This is a project that will deliver new social, affordable rental and private homes for my community. I am very excited about what we are doing in Delacombe and what it will mean to individuals and families who will make these new builds their homes. I look forward to the minister’s response and welcoming him to Delacombe to see this important project.
Response from the Hon. Colin Brooks MP, Minister for Housing (8 May 2023) –
I thank the Member for Wendouree for requesting that I visit her electorate, and for her continued support of the Delacombe master plan and The Andrews Labor Government’s Big Housing Build project.
On 2 March 2023, I approved the final master plan for the Leawarra neighbourhood in Delacombe, which is now publicly available via the Engage Victoria and Homes Victoria website. The final master plan was developed following initial engagement with Delacombe residents and the surrounding community in December 2019, as well as renter and community engagement on the key directions in March 2020, and the draft master plan in mid-2021.
The Big Housing Build project will deliver over 150 new dwellings in Delacombe and transform it into a vibrant, family friendly and well-connected neighbourhood. It will uplift the social housing availability in the Leawarra neighbourhood by at least 10 percent. Affordable and private homes will also be delivered by this project to give more people the opportunity to live in the Leawarra neighbourhood.
Indeed, the new homes will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom low-rise housing with high environmental sustainability ratings, which will make them more comfortable to live in and cheaper to heat and cool. I can also confirm that at least 5 per cent of the homes will be designed to meet the needs of people living with disability.
I look forward to visiting the Leawarra neighbourhood soon and will make arrangements for the Member for Wendouree to join me on my visit. Once more, I thank the Member for her commitment to her constituents and for her ongoing support in our mission to provide more homes for more Victorians.