“Further support for Victorian’s rebuilding their homes after the bushfires will be a very welcome step for home owners and their builders,” said HIA’s Victorian Executive Director, Fiona Nield.
Following on from previous announcements about stamp duty and land tax concessions, the Victorian Government has announced that Victorians who have lost their homes or businesses can build temporary residential or commercial accommodation on their land, subject to safety requirements, without the need for planning approval.
“This represents a significant step that will assist people to remain in their communities in the short term and to rebuild their homes without the financial pressures that come from the fees, charges and other costs associated with obtaining a planning permit.
“Under this new arrangement people will be able to quickly get back onto their land and hopefully find some much needed certainty in their lives, as the planning exemptions will enable the occupation of temporary accommodation for a maximum of three years after a bushfire. This will allow people time to transition to permanent accommodation.
“The cost savings in not having to obtain approval for a temporary dwelling will also be significant and come at a time when many people need it most.
HIA has also welcomed a “one stop shop” initiative to help people understand the planning and rebuilding process.
“This will help people understand and navigate the requirements and helping them manage the approval processes and help those affected Victorians get on with their lives in a more informed and quicker way.
HIA has been encouraging the government to implement a range of measures to assist with rebuilding in areas affected and these announcements offer a very good way to help people find interim solutions quickly.
“The rebuilding process will be complex and will involve home owners (and their builders) meeting a range of local government requirements, along with meeting various state government requirements that influence home design and land use. The Victorian Government’s willingness to make this process easier will hopefully allow home owners to return to their properties as quickly as possible,” concluded Ms Nield.
Source: HIA