By Rod Hardy

Recently a Port Phillip Councillor put up a Housing Emergency Motion (4 September) that proposed amongst other measures, a plan to increase medium density development through rezoning land and advocating for planning rules to encourage densification and to enable greater supply in areas of heritage overlays.

Fortunately, the motion was defeated because Residents of Port Phillip Councillors and others voted against it.

We are living through a housing crisis as evidenced by a shortage of housing, high and unaffordable property values and high rents. Council has a role to play in fast tracking planning approvals and Port Phillip has a proud track record of freeing land for social and affordable housing. About 7% of Port Phillip properties are social and affordable housing – one of the highest in Victoria.

However, we must draw the line at rezoning properties that are protected by heritage overly and ensure we retain the magnificent heritage character of Port Phillip. After all, this is one of the main reasons why we live here.

Be careful who you vote for in the upcoming Council elections, as four Councillors voted in favour of changes to heritage protections and a candidate for Albert Park Ward publicly supported the motion. Do you want to see heritage homes replaced with ugly blocks of flats?

I am a candidate for Albert Park Ward. If elected, I will advocate to protect and retain the heritage character of Middle Park, St Kilda West and Albert Park and more generally all of Port Phillip .