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Ballarat housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

Ballarat’s official 2051 housing target, the yearly pace it implies, and how ABS building approvals in the council compare, month by month.

Ballarat’s final 2051 housing target is 46,900 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 1,675 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 1,431 dwelling approvals in Ballarat: approvals are running at 85% of the pace needed. That is up 102% on the 12 months before.

Updated to Jul 2026 (ABS building approvals), data refreshed 2026-10-07. Targets as set in Plan for Victoria’s final targets, 24 February 2025.

46,900additional homes by 2051 (target)
1,675a year: the even pace the target implies
1,431dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
85%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The target is split into 28,000 outside greenfield areas (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026) and 18,900 in greenfield areas (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). The state counts about 53,000 homes in Ballarat in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 88% to the housing stock.

Region: Regional Victoria.

Monthly approvals in Ballarat

Dwelling approvals in Ballarat by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Ballarat, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 140 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 1,431. The same figures are in the table that follows.010020030040020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 2,627 dwellings have been approved in Ballarat, about 1,017 a year, and the three-year average is 1,039 a year (62% of the pace needed). Extrapolation only: if approvals continued at the last 12 months' pace and every approval became a home (not all do), the remaining target would be reached in about 31 years, around 2057, after 2051.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 79% were houses and 21% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Ballarat, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–191,207801,287
2019–201,145791,224
2020–211,9311922,123
2021–221,6021491,751
2022–231,323871,410
2023–248601511,011
2024–2564161702
2025–261,0773031,380
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)1220122
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 20261220122
Jun 2026123185308
May 20261082110
Apr 20269411105
Mar 20261374141
Feb 202610742149
Jan 202635237
Dec 202563871
Nov 2025721587
Oct 20257726103
Sep 202584892
Aug 20251060106
Jul 202571071
Jun 202553053
May 202562668
Apr 2025623193
Mar 202556056
Feb 202553154
Jan 202522022
Dec 202439241
Nov 202453053
Oct 202470777
Sep 202459968
Aug 202453053

Similar councils

Councils in Regional Victoria with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Ballarat46,9001,6751,43185%
Greater Bendigo37,0001,32188567%
Baw Baw25,70091858764%
Moorabool20,00071434248%
Bass Coast19,25068839858%

Where in Ballarat the approvals are

Suburbs with the most dwelling approvals since July 2021, when the ABS small-area series starts. Suburb figures are apportioned from ABS SA2 areas, so treat them as indicative.

SuburbDwellings approved since Jul 2021
Cardigan1,407
Bunkers Hill918
Delacombe399
Winter Valley369
Alfredton276
Bonshaw246
Warrenheip201
Sebastopol176

What the target means

The target is the number of additional homes the Victorian Government expects Ballarat to make room for by 2051 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Councils do that through their planning controls (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), and the state says it will intervene, including by rezoning, where councils don’t (Premier of Victoria, verified 27 Sep 2026). The targets were set using access to jobs, services and transport, hazards such as flood and bushfire, and development trends (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026).

Method and limits.

Frequently asked

What is Ballarat's housing target?

Ballarat's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 46,900 additional homes by 2051. 18,900 of them are in greenfield areas.

How many homes are being approved in Ballarat?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 1,431 dwelling approvals in Ballarat. The even pace the target implies is about 1,675 a year, so approvals are running at 85% of the pace needed.

Does Ballarat have to approve 1,675 homes every year?

No. The target is a long-run total to 2051, not a yearly quota, and councils meet it by providing capacity in their planning controls. The even yearly pace is a yardstick for comparison, not a legal requirement.

Are building approvals the same as new homes?

No. An approval is the permit that lets construction start. Some approved homes are built years later, some never are, and demolished homes aren't subtracted.

Suburbs in Ballarat

Ballarat council overview: median prices for every suburb →

Sources and methodology

Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.

← All councils’ targets Rezoning tracker → Planning and development guide →
Written by
Delora editorial team
Jurisdiction
Victoria only (Victorian Government targets)
Content type
Data tracker (general information, not advice)
Last reviewed
2026-10-07
Sources
See "Sources and methodology" above for cited sources

Sources on this page last verified against the primary source each figure cites. What “verified” means