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Yarra housing target: 2051 target vs approvals

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

Yarra’s final 2051 housing target is 44,000 additional homes (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026). Spread evenly over the 28 years from 2023, that is about 1,571 homes a year.

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 1,355 dwelling approvals in Yarra: approvals are running at 86% of the pace needed. That is up 25% 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.

44,000additional homes by 2051 (target)
1,571a year: the even pace the target implies
1,355dwellings approved in the 12 months to Jul 2026
86%of the pace needed, on the last 12 months

The state counts about 52,600 homes in Yarra in 2023 (Victorian Government (Department of Transport and Planning), verified 27 Sep 2026), so the target would add roughly 84% to the housing stock.

Region: Metropolitan Melbourne.

Monthly approvals in Yarra

Dwelling approvals in Yarra by monthMonthly dwelling units approved in Yarra, Jul 2018 to Jul 2026, split into houses and other dwellings, with the 12-month average and a dashed line at the 131 a month the 2051 target implies. The last 12 months total 1,355. The same figures are in the table that follows.020040060080020192020202120222023202420252026

Since January 2024, 2,587 dwellings have been approved in Yarra, about 1,001 a year, and the three-year average is 886 a year (56% 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 31 years, around 2057, after 2051.

Of the last 12 months’ approvals, 2% were houses and 98% were other dwellings such as townhouses and apartments.

Dwelling units approved in Yarra, by financial year
Financial yearHousesOther dwellingsTotal
2018–1942640682
2019–20511,5191,570
2020–2133880913
2021–2239230269
2022–2324854878
2023–2436410446
2024–25291,0181,047
2025–26231,3701,393
2026–27 (Jul–Jul, 1 months)303
Last 24 months, month by month
MonthHousesOther dwellingsTotal
Jul 2026303
Jun 2026303
May 202632932
Apr 20264691695
Mar 2026404
Feb 2026044
Jan 202601313
Dec 202527577
Nov 2025224
Oct 202502424
Sep 20251492493
Aug 2025123
Jul 202533841
Jun 2025224
May 20255914
Apr 2025325
Mar 20251251252
Feb 202521315
Jan 202535861
Dec 20243393396
Nov 2024156
Oct 20241107108
Sep 2024224
Aug 20245170175

Similar councils

Councils in Metropolitan Melbourne with the closest target sizes.

Council2051 targetNeeded a yearApproved, last 12 monthsShare of pace needed
Maribyrnong48,0001,71469741%
Moonee Valley47,5001,69667240%
Banyule45,5001,6251,04164%
Yarra44,0001,5711,35586%
Knox43,0001,53658738%

Where in Yarra 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
Fitzroy North1,047
Richmond906
Fairfield552
Alphington407
Fitzroy398
Clifton Hill384
Abbotsford247
Collingwood119

What the target means

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

Yarra's final housing target, set by the Victorian Government in February 2025, is 44,000 additional homes by 2051.

How many homes are being approved in Yarra?

In the 12 months to Jul 2026, the ABS recorded 1,355 dwelling approvals in Yarra. The even pace the target implies is about 1,571 a year, so approvals are running at 86% of the pace needed.

Does Yarra have to approve 1,571 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 Yarra

Yarra 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