Melbourne leads Australia on planning flexibility but wealthy inner suburbs still block new housing

The Age—Melbourne has the least restrictive planning zones of any Australian city, yet its wealthiest inner suburbs continue blocking higher-density housing development. Despite broad state-level liberalization of planning rules, these affluent neighborhoods remain what planners call 'locked down' against meaningful residential growth. The disparity illustrates the limits of reform when local opposition in high-value suburbs stays entrenched.

• The Age — Melbourne has Australia's least restrictive planning zones but wealthy inner suburbs still block density
• Sydney Morning Herald — Melbourne eases planning rules broadly but wealthy inner suburbs resist allowing higher-density housing