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All Council recommendations adopted in Parliamentary Inquiry final report

On Wednesday 12 August the Victorian Government tabled its final report for its Inquiry into renewable and affordable energy for apartments; which included all six recommendations Council made in its submission.

14 Aug 2026
Social and Affordable Housing in Yarra

On Wednesday 12 August the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee presented its final report on the Inquiry into renewable and affordable energy for apartments to the Victorian Parliament.  

Council lodged a submission and appeared before the Committee. 

Council officers noted that the transition to a zero emissions future provides opportunities to improve the thermal comfort of our homes. Unfortunately, residents living in apartment buildings, especially residents who rent, face significant barriers to access these important quality-of-life upgrades. 

50% of Yarra residents live in apartments, 43% of Yarra residents live in private rentals and 8% live in rented social housing, making this a significant issue for our municipality and one that Council advocates for strongly. 

The Final Report adopted all six of the recommendations put forward by Council in its submission to the inquiry. 

Council’s adopted recommendations include: 

  1. Establish a Strata and Property Services Commissioner for Victoria and create a Strata Hub  

  1. Require all tiers of owners’ corporations to plan for electrification, expand the definition of “sustainability items”, and remove barriers to implementing upgrades  

  1. Eliminate exemptions from legislation and create electrification support programs targeting apartments and apartment buildings 

  1. Lower the decision-making threshold to 50% for common area electrification and sustainability initiatives and fast-track approvals for apartment upgrades  

  1. Require and support distribution network service providers for a planned approach to kiosk and substation upgrades to support neighbourhood electrification and to fairly distribute the costs of these upgrades  

  1. Improve conditions for apartment residents with embedded networks  

These recommendations are among the 25 recommendations in the final report, all of which aim to remove barriers to renewable and affordable energy for people living in apartments. 

Now that the report has been tabled, the Victorian Government has six months to respond, detailing which recommendations will be adopted.