National

Targets set as Victoria eyes millions of extra homes

By AAP Newswire

Jun 16, 2024

Homes and businesses in Melbourne's south (file) — Two million homes would be built in Melbourne by 2051 as part of a major Victorian housing plan. -AAP Image

Geelong will shoulder the highest new homes target of any Victorian area, as the state moves to add 2.5 million dwellings by the middle of the century.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Premier Jacinta Allan on Sunday unveiled proposed housing targets for all Victorian local government areas to reach by 2051.

Under the draft plan, two million homes would be build in metropolitan Melbourne and another almost 500,000 spread across the regions.

Some 139,800 new dwellings would be constructed in the City of Greater Geelong, 46,900 within the Ballarat City Council area and 37,500 in Greater Bendigo City.

The City of Melbourne would host an extra 134,000 homes and another 67,000 would be added to the "well-connected" area of Boroondara, which takes in the suburbs of Balwyn, Camberwell, Canterbury, Hawthorn, Kew and Surrey Hills.

The number of homes in the outer ring areas of Melton City Council (132,000), Wyndham City Council (120,000), Casey City Council (104,000), Hume City Council (98,000) and Whittlesea City Council (87,000) are also set to swell considerably.

Jacinta Allan says Victoria needs lots more homes but in the right areas. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Victoria has the largest annual population growth of all Australian states and needs more than two million additional homes by the 2050s.Â

"To give industry the confidence they need to get on and build, we need government and all councils working towards the same goal: more homes for Victorians - in the right places," Ms Allan said.

The draft council housing targets are largely based on access to jobs, transport and services, the government said.

Victoria's metropolitan planning strategy, released in 2017, set a target for 70 per cent of new homes to be built in established suburbs by 2051, with the remaining 30 per cent in greenfield areas.

Since 2014, 56 per cent of new homes delivered in Victoria have been in established areas.

In one of his final acts as premier, Daniel Andrews set a target to build 800,000 homes across Victoria over the next decade when announcing the government's housing statement in September.

Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows 11,071 homes were approved for construction in Victoria in the first three months of 2024, putting the state on track to approve fewer than 45,000 this year.

The final council housing targets will be released by the end of 2024 following local government consultation.

HIGHEST 2051 NEW HOMES DRAFT TARGETS:

* Greater Geelong City Council - 139,800

* Melbourne City Council - 134,000

* Melton City Council - 132,000

* Wyndham City Council - 120,000

* Casey City Council - 104,000

* Hume City Council - 98,000

* Whittlesea City Council - 87,000

* Whitehorse City Council - 79,000

* Monash City Council - 72,000

* Brimbank City Council - 72,000