Delora
Start hereSign in

Whittlesea housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Whittlesea’s final 2051 housing target is 72,000 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 2,571 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 2,639 dwelling approvals in Whittlesea: approvals are running at 103% of the pace needed. That is down 17% 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.

72,000additional homes by 2051 (target)
2,571a year: the even pace the target implies
2,639dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
103%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The target is split into 29,000 outside greenfield areas (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026) and 43,000 in greenfield areas (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). The state counts about 88,100 homes in Whittlesea in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 82% to the housing stock.

Region: Metropolitan Melbourne.

Monthly approvals in Whittlesea

Dwelling approvals in Whittlesea by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Whittlesea, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 214 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 2,639. The same figures are in the table that follows.020040060080020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 7,850 dwellings have been approved in Whittlesea, about 3,039 a year, and the three-year average is 3,041 a year (118% 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, 82% were houses and 18% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Whittlesea, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–191,9606112,571
2019–202,3904322,822
2020–212,6318393,470
2021–221,9044802,384
2022–231,8484342,282
2023–242,4827133,195
2024–252,3897683,157
2025–262,2385532,791
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)17110181
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 202617110181
Jun 202616954223
May 202618561246
Apr 202620848256
Mar 202618334217
Feb 202619440234
Jan 20269716113
Dec 202515414168
Nov 202517039209
Oct 202520689295
Sep 202520854262
Aug 202521619235
Jul 202524885333
Jun 202524053293
May 202519287279
Apr 202514562207
Mar 2025165138303
Feb 202520444248
Jan 202512390213
Dec 202415953212
Nov 202419550245
Oct 202426949318
Sep 202419239231
Aug 202425955314

Similar councils

Councils in Metropolitan Melbourne with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Whitehorse76,5002,73280730%
Whittlesea72,0002,5712,639103%
Monash69,5002,4821,27051%
Darebin69,0002,4641,20849%
Merri-bek69,0002,4641,39256%

Where in Whittlesea 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
Wollert5,233
Whittlesea1,717
South Morang1,087
Mernda675
Humevale582
Yan Yean457
Donnybrook455
Woodstock440

What the target means

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

Whittlesea's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 72,000 additional homes by 2051. 43,000 of them are in greenfield areas.

How many homes are being approved in Whittlesea?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 2,639 dwelling approvals in Whittlesea. The even pace the target implies is about 2,571 a year, so approvals are running at 103% of the pace needed.

Does Whittlesea have to approve 2,571 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 Whittlesea

Whittlesea 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