The Victorian state government has today launched a discussion paper on apartment design, the first step towards implementing standards similar to those that already exist in New South Wales. Planning Minister Richard Wynne said the ‘Better Apartments’ discussion paper would “kick-start a city-wide conversation with community and industry voices” to shape the state’s apartment design guidelines.

“This is the first time the planning and property industry, government and the public have been brought together to talk about the type of apartments we should be building,” said Wynne. Victoria needs to encourage a higher-standard of apartment design to avoid poorly designed homes lacking space, light and ventilation, Wynne said, and planning guidelines need to keep pace with the shift to more apartment living.

“Melbourne is set to house almost 100,000 new residents each year, and we need to plan for that growth,” said Wynne. Melbourne’s apartment development is already surging, and another 480,000 apartments will be needed to accommodate a projected population of 7.7 million by 2051.

The discussion paper says that the ongoing development of new apartments in Victoria has raised questions about their size and variety, and only 5 per cent of apartments currently being constructed or marketed include three or more bedrooms. Of the more than 10,000 apartments currently being marketed or constructed, 43 per cent are one-bedroom apartments and of these, nearly three-quarters are between 41 square metres and 50 square metres in size. 7 per cent of single-bedroom apartments are below 40 square metres.

Discussion paper submissions are due by July. The government will also hold community forums and industry roundtable events. Draft guidelines will be released late-2015 and a final report handed to the Minister mid-2016.

“This is more than establishing minimum standards, it’s about keeping pace with how people want to live,” said Wynne.