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Darebin housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Darebin’s final 2051 housing target is 69,000 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 2,464 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 1,208 dwelling approvals in Darebin: approvals are running at 49% 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.

69,000additional homes by 2051 (target)
2,464a year: the even pace the target implies
1,208dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
49%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 70,200 homes in Darebin in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 98% to the housing stock.

Region: Metropolitan Melbourne.

Monthly approvals in Darebin

Dwelling approvals in Darebin by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Darebin, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 205 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 1,208. The same figures are in the table that follows.020040060020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 2,678 dwellings have been approved in Darebin, about 1,037 a year, and the three-year average is 1,015 a year (41% 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 55 years, around 2081, after 2051.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 17% were houses and 83% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Darebin, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–19242698940
2019–201809321,112
2020–21161823984
2021–221939961,189
2022–23168636804
2023–242049141,118
2024–25225480705
2025–262111,0061,217
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)223254
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 2026223254
Jun 2026181836
May 2026176582
Apr 2026214970
Mar 2026127991
Feb 2026166480
Jan 2026103141
Dec 2025193958
Nov 2025173047
Oct 2025186583
Sep 202520497517
Aug 2025183149
Jul 2025253863
Jun 2025134760
May 2025172340
Apr 2025232346
Mar 2025202545
Feb 2025115061
Jan 2025113344
Dec 2024205777
Nov 2024203050
Oct 2024166278
Sep 2024252348
Aug 202419100119

Similar councils

Councils in Metropolitan Melbourne with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Whittlesea72,0002,5712,639103%
Monash69,5002,4821,27051%
Merri-bek69,0002,4641,39256%
Darebin69,0002,4641,20849%
Mitchell66,0002,3571,01643%

Where in Darebin 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
Preston2,199
Reservoir1,577
Northcote467
Thornbury335
Kingsbury28

What the target means

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

Darebin's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 69,000 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Darebin?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 1,208 dwelling approvals in Darebin. The even pace the target implies is about 2,464 a year, so approvals are running at 49% of the pace needed.

Does Darebin have to approve 2,464 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 Darebin

Darebin 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