A vacant block of land near Bendigo’s St John of God Hospital could soon be transformed into affordable housing.
The site along Chum Street in Golden Square has been identified by the Victorian government as one of seven locations across the state with “underutilised or vacant” land suitable for new homes and job precincts.
The six other locations identified by the government are located in Kilmore, North Shepparton, Wodonga West, and the Melbourne suburbs of Bundoora and Preston.
All seven sites combined, the government reckons, “could deliver around 9,155 homes and 8,900 jobs”, while any construction projects approved for these locations would require “a minimum of 10 per cent affordable housing”.
Each site is currently not considered to be in a “residential” zone, prompting a pledge to “fast-track” the re-zoning process for those locations.
“If land is ready for housing, it shouldn’t be stuck waiting to be rezoned – we are cutting red tape to get more homes built sooner and where we need them most,” Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said in a statement.
According to the government, the power to re-zone land currently rests with councils, a process that can take “two or more years” to complete.
It’s promising to reduce the time taken under what it describes as a “streamlined approach”.
The Golden Square block is located next to the former television studios of BCV-8, currently tenanted by Seven West Media.
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