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Golden Plains housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Golden Plains’s final 2051 housing target is 12,500 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 446 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 185 dwelling approvals in Golden Plains: approvals are running at 41% of the pace needed. That is up 32% 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.

12,500additional homes by 2051 (target)
446a year: the even pace the target implies
185dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
41%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 9,800 homes in Golden Plains in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 128% to the housing stock.

Region: Regional Victoria.

Monthly approvals in Golden Plains

Dwelling approvals in Golden Plains by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Golden Plains, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 37 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 185. The same figures are in the table that follows.020406020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 431 dwellings have been approved in Golden Plains, about 167 a year, and the three-year average is 168 a year (38% 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 65 years, around 2091, after 2051.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 100% were houses and 0% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Golden Plains, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–192290229
2019–202180218
2020–212770277
2021–222200220
2022–232160216
2023–2417110181
2024–251420142
2025–261831184
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)13013
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 202613013
Jun 202613013
May 202618018
Apr 202617017
Mar 202618018
Feb 202619019
Jan 202611011
Dec 202511011
Nov 202515015
Oct 202517017
Sep 202514014
Aug 202519019
Jul 202511112
Jun 202513013
May 202515015
Apr 202511011
Mar 2025909
Feb 202510010
Jan 2025808
Dec 202411011
Nov 202415015
Oct 202414014
Sep 202412012
Aug 202410010

Similar councils

Councils in Regional Victoria with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Wodonga15,20054341076%
Macedon Ranges13,20047132469%
Latrobe13,000464510110%
Golden Plains12,50044618541%
East Gippsland11,00039338899%

Where in Golden Plains 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
Smythes Creek640
Bannockburn138
Batesford97
Inverleigh69
Meredith61
Rokewood57
Shelford48
Lethbridge22

What the target means

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

Golden Plains's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 12,500 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Golden Plains?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 185 dwelling approvals in Golden Plains. The even pace the target implies is about 446 a year, so approvals are running at 41% of the pace needed.

Does Golden Plains have to approve 446 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 Golden Plains

Golden Plains 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