Cade Lucas
Premier Daniel Andrews has flagged the prospect of government intervention following claims by residents of a Truganina estate that they were deceived by developers.
Residents of Allura Estate say a town centre promised when they bought their properties a decade ago, still hasn’t been delivered.
The approved precinct structure plan( PSP) of Allura estate included a town centre and shopping precinct that residents claim they paid a premium for.
Mr Andrews said he was very concerned by the matter and said the government would look at it closely.
“Those developers say one thing to guarantee the sale and then deliver something very different to guarantee profits, that’s fundamentally wrong” Mr Andrews told a press conference on Thursday.
His comments follow calls from both the Property Council and Consumer Action Law Centre for the government to step in to protect consumers and ensure developers fulfill plans outlined in PSP’s.
Earlier this month residents met with Consumer Affairs Minister Danny Pearson and Laverton MP Sarah Connolly to discuss the matter.
Wyndham councillor Josh Gilligan welcomed calls for PSP reform, but said empowering local government was part of the solution too.
“Whether it is schools or shopping centres, we know that at the heart of the problem is local councils are starved of power to hold developers fully to account in accordance with community expectations” Cr Gilligan posted on Facebook.
The town centre is still included in Allura estate’s PSP and a scaled down version is advertised to open in 2024.
Empire Property took over Allura Estate from original developers Stockland in 2021 and applied for a new permit to add more residential properties to the town centre site.
Wyndham council approved the new permit despite opposition from residents.
Empire Property declined to comment.
