21 May 2025
On 16 August 2024 we advised that the State Government had a proposed housing target of 12,000 new homes for the Shire of Nillumbik by 2051.
We expressed our concerns and suggested that you make a submission on the State Government’s Engage Victoria website before the final targets were released, which was expected to be in late November 2024 but was delayed.
The Nillumbik Council had its own concerns about the viability of fitting 12,000 new homes into the Shire and took the opportunity offered by the State Government to all Victorian Councils to make a submission to the State Government by 30 August 2024. Council’s submission entitled “Plan for Victoria and Housing Targets Submission” argued that Nillumbik only has capacity for 5,540 new dwellings by 2051.
Fortunately, when the State Government released its final targets in late February 2025, the target for Nillumbik was reduced to 6,500.
Although ECAG was pleased to see a final target that was much closer to the figure that the Council had argued for, many questions still remain, such as, how will the Council determine where the new homes are to be located and what can it do to ensure that such homes are built?
If you are interested in finding out how this target is proposed to be achieved and would welcome the opportunity to ask questions about Nillumbik’s housing target generally, come to ECAG’s Annual General Meeting on Sunday 15 June 2025 from 2:30pm to 5pm at the Seniors Citizens Hall. These targets and other local planning issues will be addressed in a presentation by Frank Vassilacos, Council’s Director Planning, Environment and Strategy.