Nillumbik has the largest proportion of baby boomers in metropolitan Melbourne. Overwhelmingly these people live in larger detached homes. This is causing a large and increasing mismatch between housing supply and demand. Council is seeking feedback on the challenges and opportunities that this presents and Council’s role.

One-quarter of the people who live in Nillumbik are currently over 55. The last Census saw an increase of 2,500 people of 60+ and a decrease of 2,000 of those aged under 60. By 2036 the number of people aged 55 and over is expected to increase by almost 4,600. One in three residents in Nillumbik will, by then, be aged 55.

Nillumbik also has the highest proportion of detached houses and the highest rate of four bedroom or larger houses in Melbourne (45 per cent).

From this it is possible to predict that there will be:

  • strong demand for smaller dwellings around existing social networks
  • demand for townhouses, some 3-4 storey development and 2-3 bedroom dwellings
  • a need for home design and adaptation measures that enable better ageing in place.

Some reasons to downsize may include:

  • home, garden and bushfire maintenance
  • sons and/or daughters have moved out.
  • need better access to services and public transport.
  • moving into a house with accessible design to manage physical limitations.
  • changing lifestyle such as wanting to travel or live near the beach.
  • a desire to capture increased value and/or to deal with financial difficulty.

Older downsizers have reported the following difficulties:

  • availability of suitable housing.
  • cost and affordability of housing.
  • suitability of location.
  • fees and stamp duties
  • location issues (such as access to services)

In a recent Nillumbik survey, 43.5% of 56-75year-olds said they would like more housing choices. Development on greenfield and strategic sites are expected to be exhausted in the decade. As such, a lot of future housing needs will be met through infill opportunities.

Local government’s role is to support the Victorian Government’s Housing Policy, identify where housing should be distributed and promote better housing affordability and diversity.

Councils’ play different roles which may include:

  • investigate and inform the community of housing challenges and opportunities;
  • advocate at local, state and federal level;
  • facilitate housing through incentives (including land) and shaping local planning laws;
  • directly fund by providing land, funds or manage housing directly.

Council is keen to explore the role that “intentional communities” may play. Intentional communities:

  • maintains a common agreement such as how they are governed; and
  • shared activity spaces.

They include housing cooperatives and co-housing communities (as well as ecovillages, collective households, co-living) for example:

  • Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL), Victoria's largest Housing Association which currently houses 5,000 people in over 2,200 houses.
  • Murundaka Cohousing, a project of CEHL, developing a Cohousing Community in Heidelberg Heights which houses 40 people of varying ages.
  • Moora Moora on 275 hectares on Mount Toolebewong above Healesville which houses almost 50 adults and 20 children.