Australia ranks amongst the top ten countries by GDPPD per capita but sits outside the top 50 for income equality. Melbourne is third on the global liveability index for cities but rising property prices mean new homeowners have to save on average for eleven years to afford their first home deposit. Greater Melbourne’s population is expected to grow to 8 million by 2050, adding pressure on infrastructure, energy, and housing, with the wider State of Victoria already experiencing a 57,000 deficit in social housing units.
Notwithstanding these pressures, the State of Victoria, where wildfires already run rampant, has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 and, to complement national-level policies, introduced a number of climate action policies, including Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy and the Built Environment Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026.
Building decarbonisation efforts have focused on providing new energy-efficient homes, often replacing low-priced stock, rather than retrofits. New homes tend to only be affordable for higher income groups, effectively displacing lower-income communities. The Retain, Repair, Reinvest framework, developed by OFFICE, aims to tackle this issue through an approach to improving social housing that retains existing tenants. The patchwork of Greater Melbourne’s 32 municipalities makes collective, long-term planning challenging, but emerging initiatives such as the Council Alliance for Sustainable Built Environment and Homes Victoria’s new social procurement practices could shift the tide towards more inclusive decarbonisation efforts.
For more information, read the Melbourne City Summary Report
Opportunities for the green transition
The Retain, Repair, Reinvest Framework by OFFICE assesses the refurbishment potential of existing public housing, by seeking to reduce carbon emissions from building processes without demolishing homes and displacing communities.
City Future Vision: Melbourne
Proactive, affordable, and innovative
The government reactivates underutilised land by granting charitable status to projects that meet clear criteria, while also leading housing retrofit efforts and expanding the public housing stock. There is a successful programme for affordable housing construction near major activity centres funded by zoning uplift tools and revenues from second home land tax and industry levies. The private and public sectors collaborate closely to develop alternative financing models, increase transparency and accountability. Sharing and commons-based approaches are widespread, and health, environmental, and social outcomes are highly valued.
See the full insights report from the Melbourne visioning workshop held on 29 May 2023
New economic model
A New Normal City Plan in Melbourne
A New Normal is a city plan to transform Greater Melbourne from an energy consumer to an energy producer by 2030. This model targets Melbourne’s water, energy and waste systems to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a “net-zero code” to guide new architecture. The process outlines key initiatives such as mandating the retrofitting of all existing buildings to reduce energy and water consumption, and using energy storage systems to power homes through the electrification of the transport system. The ultimate outcome will see all new construction projects achieving net-positive energy production, water neutrality, and not producing any waste destined for landfill.