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Melbourne housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Melbourne’s final 2051 housing target is 119,500 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 4,268 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 4,254 dwelling approvals in Melbourne: approvals are running at 100% of the pace needed. That is up 28% 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.

119,500additional homes by 2051 (target)
4,268a year: the even pace the target implies
4,254dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
100%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 110,100 homes in Melbourne in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 109% to the housing stock.

Region: Metropolitan Melbourne.

Monthly approvals in Melbourne

Dwelling approvals in Melbourne by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Melbourne, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 356 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 4,254. The same figures are in the table that follows.05001,0001,5002,0002,50020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 8,938 dwellings have been approved in Melbourne, about 3,460 a year, and the three-year average is 3,355 a year (79% 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 26 years, around 2052, after 2051.

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

Dwelling units approved in Melbourne, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–19152,2492,264
2019–20164,8154,831
2020–2116896912
2021–22102,4522,462
2022–2352,7402,745
2023–2411,5131,514
2024–2573,8963,903
2025–2683,9583,966
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)0681681
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 20260681681
Jun 20262102104
May 20261292293
Apr 2026066
Mar 20261817818
Feb 20260696696
Jan 2026101
Dec 2025000
Nov 20250934934
Oct 202517778
Sep 20252641643
Aug 2025000
Jul 20250393393
Jun 20251910
May 20251318319
Apr 2025112
Mar 20250108108
Feb 20250339339
Jan 20250713713
Dec 2024000
Nov 2024000
Oct 20241741742
Sep 20242509511
Aug 20241192193

Similar councils

Councils in Metropolitan Melbourne with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Melbourne119,5004,2684,254100%
Melton109,0003,8934,513116%
Wyndham99,0003,5364,066115%
Casey87,0003,1073,450111%
Hume79,0002,8213,037108%

Where in Melbourne 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
Docklands5,548
Southbank2,468
Kensington1,554
North Melbourne1,443
Melbourne1,040
West Melbourne934
Flemington880
Carlton607

What the target means

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

Melbourne's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 119,500 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Melbourne?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 4,254 dwelling approvals in Melbourne. The even pace the target implies is about 4,268 a year, so approvals are running at 100% of the pace needed.

Does Melbourne have to approve 4,268 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 Melbourne

Melbourne 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