Melbourne

We definitely do need denser housing in the inner suburbs, but with the questionable build quality of post-2000 properties, we probably need a significant overhaul of building standards and requirements first and foremost.

Heating/cooling should not be so expensive and futile, given our relatively mild climate. Proper insulation, double/triple laminate glass, awnings over north & west-facing windows etc.

Additionally, many new developments are built and billed as ‘luxury’ - pricing out a lot of potential buyers, and builds rarely have the appropriate number of rooms for young families.

Lastly, accessibility concerns usually mean that new developments beyond 2 stories usually require an elevator - so in order to make the build cost effective, the designer ultimately needs to become 5-6 stories tall; infuriating NIMBYs who may otherwise tolerate a 3-4 storey tall build.

There are a lot of problems that need to be tackled, but they need to be tackled - both from a Federal (against financial incentives towards property hoarding and speculation), and State (building adequate levels of appropriate stock).

Yet these reforms are now under threat. The Victorian Liberals and the Greens have teamed up to launch an inquiry into the state Labor government’s reforms

I gotta say, the wording of that threw up a huge red flag.