You can’t live in a housing announcement. Someone has to build the home.
For people saving for a deposit, searching for an affordable rental or trying to deliver new housing, the distance between a promise and a finished home matters.
That is the conversation at the centre of this episode of Hear Me ROAR, with Marko Matvikov joining hosts Kate Save and Tobi Skovron to discuss housing, bureaucracy and government accountability.
The episode is now streaming on all platforms.
Who Is Marko Matvikov?
Marko describes himself on X as a qualified engineer, part-time builder and full-time developer. His background gives him a practical perspective on the process of turning a housing proposal into a completed project.
He joins Hear Me ROAR for a direct conversation about the questions that matter to people trying to build, buy and move forward.
Where does the planning process become unnecessarily complicated? How can government protect communities while giving applicants clear decisions? And what would meaningful accountability look like?
Victoria’s Housing Debate Needs to Focus on Delivery
Housing targets provide direction. Their value ultimately depends on what gets delivered.
A completed home requires land, finance, design, approvals, infrastructure, materials and skilled people. Improving one part of that process will not automatically resolve every other constraint.
That is why the housing conversation needs to move beyond announcements and examine the practical journey from proposal to completion.
For a prospective buyer, the outcome is a home they can afford. For a renter, it is access to suitable housing. For a builder or developer, it is enough certainty to commit resources and deliver.
The question is straightforward: what needs to happen to get more suitable homes built?
Planning Delays, Red Tape and the Cost of Uncertainty
Good planning has an essential role. It protects safety, considers infrastructure and helps communities manage change.
The challenge is distinguishing necessary scrutiny from avoidable complexity.
Applicants should be able to understand what is required, who makes the decision and when they can expect an answer. A process becomes harder to navigate when requirements are unclear, responsibilities overlap or timelines remain uncertain.
Time also has commercial consequences. When a project relies on borrowed money, an extended wait can mean additional financing costs before construction begins. Changing requirements can mean further design work and revised budgets.
That does not mean every delayed project is viable, or that every approval should be granted. It means the decision-making process deserves the same attention as the housing target.
Useful questions include:
- Are application requirements clear from the outset?
- Can agencies assess different parts of a proposal concurrently?
- Are applicants receiving consistent advice?
- Are decision timeframes measured and reported?
- Can unnecessary duplication be removed without weakening standards?
A clear, timely refusal provides more certainty than an application left unresolved.
Housing Affordability Is Bigger Than One Planning Decision
Red tape is an important subject for scrutiny, but housing affordability involves more than approvals alone.
Land, construction, finance, infrastructure and household purchasing power all matter. Faster planning decisions cannot, by themselves, guarantee an affordable finished home.
They can, however, be part of a broader approach that gives people greater certainty about whether a project can proceed.
The aim should be a system that supports safe, well-designed housing and makes its requirements understandable. That includes the infrastructure and services people need around their homes.
The standard worth pursuing is practical: clear rules, proportionate assessment and decisions people can act on.
Government Accountability Belongs in This Conversation
When households and businesses are expected to manage their budgets carefully, they are entitled to expect the same discipline from government.
There are documented reasons to scrutinise Victoria’s management of public resources.
The Victorian Auditor-General found that securing, planning for and withdrawing from the 2026 Commonwealth Games cost more than A$589 million, with no discernible benefit.
Separately, the joint IBAC and Victorian Ombudsman investigation, Operation Watts, exposed misconduct involving publicly funded resources used for party purposes, including nepotism and roles supporting factional activities.
These findings concern different failures. They do not establish that government misconduct caused the housing crisis. They do reinforce the need for transparent decisions, responsible spending and consequences when public resources are misused.
For housing policy, accountability should include reporting on approvals, completions, delays and the delivery of supporting infrastructure.
People deserve to see the results of the commitments made in their name.
What Meaningful Change Should Look Like
A stronger housing system needs practical improvements that people can recognise in their everyday dealings with it.
That means clear application requirements, fewer duplicated processes, realistic decision timeframes and visible responsibility when those timeframes are missed.
It also means assessing success through completed homes and functioning communities, alongside the quality and safety of what is built.
Builders need enough certainty to plan. Buyers and renters need suitable options. Existing communities need confidence that growth is being managed responsibly.
Those objectives deserve to be considered together.
A Conversation About Victoria’s Future
Behind every housing application, savings plan and rental search is someone trying to move forward.
Their time matters. Their money matters. Their ambition deserves respect.
Victoria’s future depends on its ability to create opportunities for people to live, work and build here. Asking difficult questions about bureaucracy and public spending is part of taking that future seriously.
In this episode of Hear Me ROAR, Marko Matvikov joins Kate Save and Tobi Skovron to explore housing, red tape and the standards we should expect from decision-makers.
Now streaming on all platforms. Watch or listen, then tell us: what is the first thing you would change about Victoria’s housing system?
FAQs
What does Marko Matvikov discuss on Hear Me ROAR?
The episode explores Victoria’s housing challenges, planning delays, red tape and government accountability, with a focus on the practical issues facing people trying to build and get ahead.
Would reducing red tape solve Victoria’s housing crisis?
Reducing unnecessary complexity could help the development process, but housing affordability also involves land, finance, construction costs, infrastructure and household incomes. Planning reform is one part of the broader challenge.
Does faster planning mean weaker building standards?
It does not have to. Clear requirements, coordinated assessments and less duplication can be pursued while maintaining safety and quality standards.
Where can I listen to the Marko Matvikov episode?
The Hear Me ROAR episode featuring Marko Matvikov, Kate Save and Tobi Skovron is now streaming on all platforms.
Get ready to ROAR, Enjoy the Pod 🎧