Manningham Residential Strategy

Thank you to everyone who recently participated in our consultation on the Manningham Residential Discussion Paper, between April and May 2024.

We’ll consider your feedback as we prepare the new draft Manningham Residential Strategy, which will be shared for further community input in 2025.

This initial phase of engagement sought feedback from the community on the housing issues facing Manningham. We also wanted to better understand community priorities and aspirations for housing in Manningham.

We invited feedback via a series of pop-up stalls at local markets and shopping centres, community focus group sessions and at several of Council’s Advisory Committee meetings.

Community members also submitted more than 150 responses to our Manningham Residential Discussion Paper survey.

The issues identified in the Discussion Paper generated strong interest and robust discussion within our community.

Summary of key themes from the consultation:

• While there is general support for and understanding of the need for housing growth to occur near shopping precincts, along main roads and close to public transport, participants were divided in their views on:
  • the impacts of high-density housing on the character of an area
  • visual amenity
  • the retention of canopy trees and vegetation.
• Despite a divided view on increased densities, participants identified a need for more diverse housing choices to suit the needs of downsizers and young people.
• Participants supported:
  • single level townhouses and apartments, with more communal spaces for improved social connection
  • innovative housing models including ‘co-housing’ and ‘ageing in place’ models
  • more accessible housing for all ages and abilities
  • better design and neighbourhood character outcomes with emphasis on the use of durable materials that stand the test of time and landscaping.
• More than 70 per cent of respondents said the ‘look and feel of their suburb’ was their main reason for living there.
• Safety in design was identified as an important consideration.
• Housing affordability was acknowledged as a major barrier for people wanting to live and rent in Manningham.

Further details will be provided about the next phase of consultation closer to the date, in 2025.

This consultation has now closed.

Thank you to everyone who has already participated in the Residential Discussion Paper consultation.

We’ve received valuable insights from your responses to the community survey, as well as at this week’s focus group sessions and the various pop-up events held across the municipality. We’ve also heard from several of our advisory groups and committees, made up of community representatives.

Our final pop-up event is coming up next week at the Park Orchards Market. We hope to see you there.

Park Orchards Market

10.00am to 2.00pm, Saturday 18 May 2024

Park Orchards Primary School
1-3 Bowmore Avenue, Park Orchards

If you haven’t had the opportunity to provide your ideas and feedback via our Residential Discussion Paper community survey, please note that we have now extended the survey closing date to 26 May 2024.

Activity Centre Design Guidelines

We’re also inviting your views on how we can best manage growth across our activity centres.

Consultation is now open for our Activity Centre Design Concepts. The short survey closes on 16 June 2024.

Learn more and take the survey at yoursay.manningham.vic.gov.au/activity-centre-design-guidelines

This consultation has now closed.

Are you interested in helping shape the future direction of housing and commercial growth and development in Manningham?

Join one of our upcoming focus group sessions to discuss some of our key strategic projects, including the Manningham Residential Strategy and Activity Centre Design Guidelines.

We'll also be inviting feedback on the Victorian Government's plan for Victoria – the first statewide strategy to guide Victoria's growth until 2050.

• Session one: Wednesday 8 May 2024, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
• Session two: Thursday 9 May 2024, 10.30am to 12.00pm (noon)

Manningham Civic Centre, Function Room 3, 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster, VIC 3108

Click here to learn more about the focus group sessions and register.

We hope you can join us to discuss these key strategic projects.

This consultation has now closed.

We’re inviting the community to have their say on our Residential Discussion Paper to help shape the future of housing in Manningham.

Take the survey

Over the next 12 years, our population is expected to increase by around 18,000 people, to more than 144,000 people. This means we’ll need close to 8,000 new homes across Manningham.

We're reviewing the Manningham Residential Strategy 2012 to help plan for and manage future housing growth and change – so that it best meets the ongoing needs of the community. The Residential Strategy will consider the type of homes required for the future, where new homes should be built and how to provide greater housing choice.

Manningham Mayor, Cr Carli Lange said, "Manningham is renowned for its balance of city and country, admired for its unique range of urban and leafy suburbs, rural lifestyle areas and vibrant activity centres.”

“Our current Residential Strategy has been successful in guiding how we have managed growth across Manningham – directing higher density development into the right locations,” Cr Lange said.

“When planning for future housing, it’s important that we support the emerging needs of our growing community, while also respecting the valued neighbourhood attributes of Manningham.

“We also need to carefully plan and manage the future of housing to provide for a range of incomes, lifestyles and life stages,” Cr Lange said.

The first stage in developing the Residential Strategy is the preparation of the Manningham Residential Discussion Paper. The Discussion Paper considers a range of housing matters, including the existing and future housing needs of the Manningham community.

Your feedback on the Discussion Paper will help us better understand community views, priorities, needs and expectations relating to housing. It will help inform the development of the draft Residential Strategy, which we plan to exhibit for community consultation in 2025.

Our short survey closes on 19 May 2024.

Participants to the survey will have the opportunity to enter the draw to win one of three $100 Westfield gift vouchers.

Attend a focus group session

We’re also running two focus group sessions to discuss the future of housing in Manningham during May.