Author: melyuan4moreland
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Victoria is the second largest agricultural producer (behind NSW) and has the largest agricultural workforce. Agriculture contributes 2% of Gross State Product. 60% of Australia’s milk comes from Victoria, and 73% of dairy exports. Victoria is Australia’s leading food and fibre exporter, accounting for 27% of the national total. Victoria contributes 45% of national horticultural…
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Victoria’s state debt is the largest in Australia and is projected to reach around 25% of Gross State Product this year. Interest payments alone are expected to rise to 9% of the state budget by 2028. Borrowing to fund infrastructure is both normal and necessary. Before the “Big Build”, Victoria had underinvested in infrastructure following…
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The sale or distribution of gazania should be banned. These weeds are at plague levels in Western Victoria and threaten sensitive Mallee ecosystems. While there is no national ban yet, the movement to restrict Gazanias is gaining significant momentum in 2026. Here is the current landscape of the “Ban Gazania” movement. 🚫 Why South Australia…
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Local governments have led the way in embedding sustainability into planning. With the State Government now excluding councils from the planning cycle, those sustainability standards are at risk of being eroded. If local oversight is removed, then Building Codes must be substantially strengthened to ensure buildings are genuinely energy‑efficient and climate‑resilient. “Better Decisions Made Faster”…
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Election campaigns are a challenge to the government of the day. In the case of renter protections, the public should be comforted that Victorian protections for renters are amongst the strongest in Australia. While rental protections can’t prevent the inequities in the housing market, they ensure minimum standards and a fairer rental market. See my…
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The Silver Review recommended the abolition of a host of agencies; however, some economic advisory agencies were spared. Given that the primary mechanism of regulatory efficiency was scrapping and amalgamating a host of regulatory agencies, retaining the BRV “portfolio overview” of the regulatory function seems contradictory. Economic Growth Victoria joins the BRV under the “Commissioner…
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Assemble developer is rightly being criticised for reneging on its “affordable housing” permit condition and the State government is to blame. However, the use of the planning scheme to mandate “affordable” housing was doomed to failure from the start. Local councils are attempting to issue permits for new developments that include some affordable housing component.…
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Brunswick has been the epicentre of higher-density development for the past 20 years. The lessons learned here have been applied to “Better Decisions Made Faster”, which effectively strips local councils of their planning roles. Unfortunately, many of the real lessons of increasing density are ignored. The government must match investment in infrastructure and services alongside…
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You may have seen a notice on their website announcing the agency’s closure. But they’re not dead yet. Here is a brief overview (via Google) of the publicly announced changes. A clear outcome of the Silver Review is the abolition of statutory authorities. These types of authorities have often been amalgamated over the last few…
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The broad shape and outcomes of the Silver Review are welcome. While I am personally saddened by some of the changes, it is vitally important for the government to regularly review its operations for duplication and inefficiency and make adjustments. Addressing the “top-heavy” nature of the Victorian Public Service (VPS) is especially welcome. The incoming…
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Victoria should introduce better price data for renters. The quarterly “Homes Victoria Rental Report” should be expanded and published on real estate listings by: Prospective renters can then see how the listed price compares with the average and median prices in the area. Good quality, timely market information allows renters to more easily evaluate options…
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Not community housing, not cooperative housing, but public housing. Invest in public housing, run by the public, for the benefit of all. Innovations in alternative housing schemes are welcome, but there remain many risks with investing public money or bestowing public gifts on housing solutions that don’t target those most in need. If you’ve been…
Mel Yuan for Brunswick 