Cade Lucas
As scenes of angry locals and Liberal MPs protesting outside a Brighton hotel against state government plans to build high density housing in their suburb went viral last Sunday night, social media was quick to lampoon the protesters as ‘NIMBY’s’.
Meaning ‘Not In My Backyard’, it’s a label often applied to those who support housing and infrastructure development except when it’s in their neighbourhood.
While concerns have been expressed in some of the 50 other suburbs earmarked as housing ‘activity centres’ in the government’s plans, the opposite response of welcoming high density housing or saying ‘Yes In My Backyard’ (YIMBY), has also been evident, including in West Footscray.
“I suppose I’d describe myself as in the YIMBY camp,” said West Footscray resident Alex Di Giorgio who lives with his wife and two children about a kilometer from the train station where high rise apartments could be built.
Along with Footscray and Middle Footscray, West Footscray station is one of three locations in Maribyrnong identified as housing activity centres where high density housing developments will be encouraged.
Rather than being concerned about the prospect of thousands of new residents moving to West Footscray, Mr Di Giorgio was supportive.
“We’re in the middle of a housing crisis. In the name of equity people have the right to live near services and where they work,” he said, adding that a bigger population could actually enhance the area.
“My opinion is that if anything it’s going to increase the livability, if there’s more people there’s going to be more services, more activity, and it’s going to be a more exciting place to live.”
Like others broadly supportive of the plans though, Mr Di Giorgio added a large caveat.
“This has to be done properly,” he said.
“Joseph Road, that’s shocking, they really need to avoid a repeat of that.”
The Footscray apartment precinct was recently described by Maribyrnong council as an example of what not to do when it comes to high density, high-rise housing development, with the area still lacking footpaths, bike paths, sealed roads and other essential infrastructure a decade after it was first first built.
“I take that route (cycling) to work and it’s really dangerous,” said Mr Di Giorgio of Joseph Road, adding “I’d hope the state government had learnt its lesson.”
