Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Planning policy

Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (19:05): (953) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Planning and concerns the changes that will come into effect next March that will make it harder and more costly for regional people that want to build a dependent-person unit behind their existing dwelling for their ageing parents to live in and be cared for by their children, or for their adult children that have special needs to live in and receive care from their family. I ask the minister to reverse these changes for regional families so that they can still build a dependent-person unit with only the need for a planning permit, rather than the more expensive and burdensome processes that will come into place in March next year for a DPU, as it is called.

The planning changes were brought in to allow what are called small second dwellings to be built behind homes in Melbourne, but the size has been limited to 60 metres square. For an older family member who has mobility challenges to live in, with the need for space for access to showers, toilets, a passage and a second bedroom for a carer, it is just not possible to actually put all this in a 60-metre-square building.

I have some examples of people who have contacted me. One of those is from a family who are building a DPU for a lovely couple, placing it on their daughter’s 1.047-hectare block. Mum and dad are fit and well at the moment and very independent; however, mum has been diagnosed with MS and will require a lot of help. They require two bedrooms, and there is no way that that could fit into a small second dwelling of 60 metres square. Luckily they got in before the law came into effect the first time. Why cannot this be changed again?

The other example is from a company that builds these units, and the woman I spoke to there has a son with a disability as well. She said she was working with a potential client who had a disabled child in their teens, and after being asked to leave group living the father decided to put a house in the backyard for his son. They require support workers and carers to stay. However, instead of the local council doing everything in their power to help them care for their son, because of the new rules they actually made it more difficult and this person cannot build that particular home. This woman I spoke to believes:

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At a time when it’s harder for parents to get into independent living or nursing homes, or help for their young children with disability, the state has lost common sense totally. As a government, I would think you would do everything in your power to help people take care of their own rather than make it harder. I really don’t understand why you have to abolish the dependent-person unit for a second small dwelling. Why can’t people actually have the choice of either?

I ask the minister to reverse that decision so that people in regional Victoria can build a dependent-person unit behind their own home so they can care for their elderly parents or care for their adult children who have disabilities.