Bendigo residents can expect to see new and improved apartments being built, thanks to tougher design standards being rolled out statewide. Effective from the start of this month, the The Better Apartments project is a joint initiative of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) and will be enforced across four areas:
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- Best-practice design guidelines for designing and assessing apartment developments.
- An education and training program for council and private-sector planning, building and design practitioners about the design and assessment of apartment developments in line with the new standards.
- A design review process to provide guidance and advice to local governments about how to assess more complex apartment developments.
- An apartment buyers and renters guide, to help buyers and renters make informed decisions.
Bedroom size, ventilation, energy efficiency and noise proofing are changes set to have the greatest impact under the new standards, but according to Strata Community Australia’s Victorian general manager Rob Beck, building security must also be a major focus for builders and architects.
“Currently 1.6 million Victorians live in apartments, and with that number expected to grow dramatically in the coming years we want to ensure ‘better’ also means safer and more secure,” said Mr Beck, who pointed out that like building and car park entries, mailboxes and mailrooms are part of building design, and tweaks at a design level could reduce the instances of thieves attempting to steal personal information. “Placing mailboxes within the building so only residents can access them has been one possible design solution to mailbox security, but this idea will need to be worked through with Australia Post,” he said.
Mr Beck also said the increase of Airbnb in Bendigo also should prompt a conversation of how building entries are designed, to limit the risks of unwanted guests. “Strata communities are hosting more visitors than ever before, and whilst many are just there for a night’s stay, owners corporations need to know that their property’s design offers the right support to ensure unwanted guests aren’t entering the property unauthorised,” he said, highlighting access to car parks, basements and storage cages as additional security concerns.
He suggested swipe cards would reassure residents that people within building are authorised to be there and there’s no need to contact the owners corporation or police because they saw a stranger enter an apartment.
