Delora
Start hereSign in

Whitehorse housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Whitehorse’s final 2051 housing target is 76,500 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 2,732 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 807 dwelling approvals in Whitehorse: approvals are running at 30% of the pace needed. That is down 1% 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.

76,500additional homes by 2051 (target)
2,732a year: the even pace the target implies
807dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
30%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 74,200 homes in Whitehorse in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 103% to the housing stock.

Region: Metropolitan Melbourne.

Monthly approvals in Whitehorse

Dwelling approvals in Whitehorse by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Whitehorse, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 228 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 807. The same figures are in the table that follows.020040060080020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 2,013 dwellings have been approved in Whitehorse, about 779 a year, and the three-year average is 767 a year (28% 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 92 years, around 2118, after 2051.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 55% were houses and 45% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Whitehorse, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–193761,3481,724
2019–203211,3791,700
2020–213281,4601,788
2021–223781,0621,440
2022–234108251,235
2023–24375288663
2024–25416383799
2025–26449396845
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)36440
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 202636440
Jun 2026341751
May 2026404787
Apr 202629837
Mar 2026371148
Feb 2026411354
Jan 2026281644
Dec 2025361147
Nov 20254161102
Oct 20253876114
Sep 2025501161
Aug 20253587122
Jul 2025403878
Jun 2025421658
May 2025431962
Apr 202540122162
Mar 2025312152
Feb 2025432063
Jan 2025231235
Dec 202428432
Nov 202442850
Oct 2024392766
Sep 2024271744
Aug 20243483117

Similar councils

Councils in Metropolitan Melbourne with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Hume79,0002,8213,037108%
Whitehorse76,5002,73280730%
Whittlesea72,0002,5712,639103%
Monash69,5002,4821,27051%
Darebin69,0002,4641,20849%

Where in Whitehorse 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
Box Hill671
Box Hill South642
Burwood East543
Burwood465
Blackburn423
Box Hill North352
Nunawading320
Mitcham309

What the target means

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

Whitehorse's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 76,500 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Whitehorse?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 807 dwelling approvals in Whitehorse. The even pace the target implies is about 2,732 a year, so approvals are running at 30% of the pace needed.

Does Whitehorse have to approve 2,732 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 Whitehorse

Whitehorse 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