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Greater Geelong housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Greater Geelong’s final 2051 housing target is 128,600 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 4,593 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 3,368 dwelling approvals in Greater Geelong: approvals are running at 73% of the pace needed. That is up 29% 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.

128,600additional homes by 2051 (target)
4,593a year: the even pace the target implies
3,368dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
73%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The target is split into 77,500 outside greenfield areas (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026) and 51,100 in greenfield areas (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). The state counts about 127,300 homes in Greater Geelong in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 101% to the housing stock.

Region: Regional Victoria.

Monthly approvals in Greater Geelong

Dwelling approvals in Greater Geelong by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Greater Geelong, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 383 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 3,368. The same figures are in the table that follows.020040060020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 7,880 dwellings have been approved in Greater Geelong, about 3,050 a year, and the three-year average is 3,133 a year (68% 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 36 years, around 2062, 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 Greater Geelong, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–192,7785163,294
2019–202,6264863,112
2020–214,0378254,862
2021–223,4495774,026
2022–232,7815593,340
2023–242,6177603,377
2024–252,1364592,595
2025–262,6595533,212
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)268163431
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 2026268163431
Jun 202625320273
May 2026302110412
Apr 202623753290
Mar 2026200103303
Feb 202623537272
Jan 20261607167
Dec 202518882270
Nov 202524356299
Oct 202521110221
Sep 202519743240
Aug 202517713190
Jul 202525619275
Jun 202518627213
May 2025204131335
Apr 202515036186
Mar 202517348221
Feb 202519822220
Jan 202517420194
Dec 202415318171
Nov 202415828186
Oct 202419575270
Sep 202414110151
Aug 202416721188

Similar councils

Councils in Regional Victoria with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Greater Geelong128,6004,5933,36873%
Ballarat46,9001,6751,43185%
Greater Bendigo37,0001,32188567%
Baw Baw25,70091858764%
Moorabool20,00071434248%

Where in Greater Geelong 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
Little River2,819
Connewarre1,957
Mount Duneed1,816
Charlemont1,450
Armstrong Creek989
Anakie644
Leopold593
Wallington541

What the target means

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

Greater Geelong's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 128,600 additional homes by 2051. 51,100 of them are in greenfield areas.

How many homes are being approved in Greater Geelong?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 3,368 dwelling approvals in Greater Geelong. The even pace the target implies is about 4,593 a year, so approvals are running at 73% of the pace needed.

Does Greater Geelong have to approve 4,593 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 Greater Geelong

Greater Geelong 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