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Hobsons Bay housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Hobsons Bay’s final 2051 housing target is 22,500 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 804 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 863 dwelling approvals in Hobsons Bay: approvals are running at 107% of the pace needed. That is up 34% 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.

22,500additional homes by 2051 (target)
804a year: the even pace the target implies
863dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
107%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 40,600 homes in Hobsons Bay in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 55% to the housing stock.

Region: Metropolitan Melbourne.

Monthly approvals in Hobsons Bay

Dwelling approvals in Hobsons Bay by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Hobsons Bay, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 67 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 863. The same figures are in the table that follows.010020030040050020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 1,774 dwellings have been approved in Hobsons Bay, about 687 a year, and the three-year average is 680 a year (85% 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 24 years, around 2050.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 22% were houses and 78% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Hobsons Bay, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–19203485688
2019–20134400534
2020–211341,1831,317
2021–22160522682
2022–231458981,043
2023–24154399553
2024–25128508636
2025–26194650844
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)164460
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 2026164460
Jun 2026112536
May 2026123244
Apr 2026276390
Mar 2026121527
Feb 202621325346
Jan 2026141428
Dec 202592332
Nov 2025242145
Oct 2025295584
Sep 2025121022
Aug 202564349
Jul 2025172441
Jun 202551318
May 2025132538
Apr 2025112738
Mar 2025141832
Feb 202591827
Jan 20256265271
Dec 202472330
Nov 202461521
Oct 2024202545
Sep 2024143650
Aug 2024161834

Similar councils

Councils in Metropolitan Melbourne with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Bayside30,0001,07153049%
Manningham28,5001,01848047%
Yarra Ranges25,00089342848%
Mornington Peninsula24,00085778792%
Hobsons Bay22,500804863107%

Where in Hobsons Bay 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
Altona North907
Newport714
Altona549
Spotswood463
Williamstown311
Altona Meadows118
South Kingsville95
Williamstown North88

What the target means

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

Hobsons Bay's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 22,500 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Hobsons Bay?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 863 dwelling approvals in Hobsons Bay. The even pace the target implies is about 804 a year, so approvals are running at 107% of the pace needed.

Does Hobsons Bay have to approve 804 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 Hobsons Bay

Hobsons Bay 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