Growing greenfield housing developments in Melton in Melbourne’s outer west.Credit:Joe Armao
“It also happens to be some of the fastest-growing areas where a huge proportion of housing is planned. So there’s a real disconnect there between putting as many lives as possible in the place that is currently the most unliveable.”
The median price for a three-bedroom home inKew in Boroondara is $2.1 million,inMiddle Park in Port Phillip council it is $2.46 million – while inMelton in the outer west it is $449,000,according to Domain.
The survey asked participants how likely they would be to recommend their area to others to live.
Australia’s most livable local government areas
- Subiaco (WA)
- Lane Cove (NSW)
- Hunters Hill (NSW)
- Boroondara (VIC)
- Surf Coast (VIC)
- Vincent (WA)
- North Sydney (NSW)
- Cambridge (WA)
- Port Phillip (VIC)
- Noosa (QLD)
Source:Place Score
“In metropolitan Melbourne,only people living in the western region are unwilling to recommend that place as a place to live,” Legge said.
She said the data should be applied to the state government’s10-year plan to rectify the imbalance of homes being built in established areas of Melbourne and those in greenfield developments.
Her firm’s research,she argued,showed it was clear that it was not the highest skyscraper-dominated areas nor sprawling,car-dependent greenfield developments where people were most content but somewhere in between;neighbourhoods with multiple local centres,parks,green streets and a mix of apartment buildings from three to 12 storeys,terraces,townhouses and some larger stand-alone homes,too.
“Everything they’re asking for us is all good stuff – there’s nothing crazy. We want green,walkable,compact and well-maintained neighbourhoods,” she said.
Kew local Winston Todd,49,has lived in the Boroondara area for the vast majority of his life and says he’s never had cause to live elsewhere because of how good the amenity is.
St Kilda Beach foreshore. Port Phillip Council has made it onto the top 10 local government areas in the country for liveability,as rated by residents.Credit:Darrian Traynor
“I’m a parent now. So there’s great schools around here. Heaps of great public parks. We’ve got a river nearby and that’s a fabulous resource,terrific transport,” he said.
Boroondara Mayor Felicity Sinfield said she was proud of her council being the most liveable in Melbourne,and it was a “timely reminder” of the benefit of local council input to planning.
Camberwell in Boroondara isone of 10 “key activity centres” where the state government intends 60,000 new homes to be built.
Boroondara local of 46 years Winston Todd at a cafe in Glenferrie.Credit:Justin McManus
“We’ve got lots of features I would encourage the state government to look at as they are building up other areas – simple things like wider,tree-lined streets that give us amenity,” Sinfield said.
Get the day’s breaking news,entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy.Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.