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Colac Otway housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Colac Otway’s final 2051 housing target is 3,700 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 132 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 213 dwelling approvals in Colac Otway: approvals are running at 161% of the pace needed. That is up 65% 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.

3,700additional homes by 2051 (target)
132a year: the even pace the target implies
213dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
161%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 12,700 homes in Colac Otway in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 29% to the housing stock.

Region: Regional Victoria.

Monthly approvals in Colac Otway

Dwelling approvals in Colac Otway by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Colac Otway, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 11 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 213. The same figures are in the table that follows.01020304020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 385 dwellings have been approved in Colac Otway, about 149 a year, and the three-year average is 142 a year (107% 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 16 years, around 2042.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 89% were houses and 11% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Colac Otway, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–191425147
2019–201093112
2020–211648172
2021–2210226128
2022–2315210162
2023–24821092
2024–251083111
2025–2618523208
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)24024
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 202624024
Jun 202629029
May 202619019
Apr 202616016
Mar 202620020
Feb 202611011
Jan 2026505
Dec 202514014
Nov 2025909
Oct 2025181634
Sep 202512719
Aug 202513013
Jul 202519019
Jun 202519322
May 2025707
Apr 202511011
Mar 202519019
Feb 202510010
Jan 2025505
Dec 2024808
Nov 2024707
Oct 202412012
Sep 2024606
Aug 2024303

Similar councils

Councils in Regional Victoria with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Mansfield3,9001398360%
Colac Otway3,700132213161%
Murrindindi3,3501207865%
Horsham3,3001189379%
Hepburn3,15011210593%

Where in Colac Otway 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
Elliminyt228
Colac62
Gellibrand5
Apollo Bay4
Birregurra3

What the target means

The target is the number of additional homes the Victorian Government expects Colac Otway 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 Colac Otway's housing target?

Colac Otway's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 3,700 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Colac Otway?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 213 dwelling approvals in Colac Otway. The even pace the target implies is about 132 a year, so approvals are running at 161% of the pace needed.

Does Colac Otway have to approve 132 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 Colac Otway

Colac Otway 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