Calls for a move from speculative to deliberative development

14 August 2015

A new report by the Swinburne University of Technology has claimed there is a way for Melbourne’s skyrocketing property market to allow for the inclusion of cheaper apartments with vastly improved designed. For this to be achieved, the researchers claim scrapping developers from the picture could be the key to achieving this goal.

The report, entitled Making Apartments Affordable: Moving from Speculative to Deliberative Development, states prospective buyers could save up to 30 per cent and still achieve their tailor designed home.

To achieve this, the paper recommends the “deliberative development” model  in which a group of intending owner-occupiers becomes the “proponent” of an apartment building instead of a developer. This form of building is already in operation in many countries, most prominently in Germany and especially in its capital city.

Report co-author Andrea Sharam said prospective neighbours could form a legal co-operative and then develop an apartment building together with architects. “You get like-minded people who want similar things being able to co-design, to some extent, the apartments that they want,” she said.

Last week, the BCCM presented these these and other ideas on co-operative developments at the inquiry into home ownership by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics. In addition, the Council’s national housing taskforce is continually looking into ways for co-operatives can help with the affordable housing solution.