Melbourne Blocks Released Under Small Sites Push

Four sites with the potential for about 700 homes have been unlocked in three Melbourne suburbs.

Under its Small Sites Program, the Victorian Government has cleared the way for the development of two sites in Brighton, one at Camberwell and one at Preston.

The program aims to create hundreds of new homes close to public transport, jobs, schools and services.

An expression-of-interest process begins this week seeking developers experienced in medium-density housing to submit proposals across the 10 available sites.

The newly added sites are 29 Lindsay Street and 1 Marion Street at Brighton, 714 Burke Road, Camberwell, and 28A and 30A Jessie Street, Preston.

The parcels are earmarked for townhouses and apartments of which at least 10 per cent will be affordable housing.

This next stage builds on the earlier expansion of the Small Sites Program, which added sites in Croydon South, Carlton, Heidelberg West, Baxter, Bendigo and Geelong, along with pilot projects in Alphington, Malvern, Preston and Coburg.

▲ The sites are slated for development as medium-density housing.
 

There are now 14 sites in the program’s pipeline, with the potential to deliver up to 1000 new homes across Victoria.

The new sites are already served by train and tram connections and form part of the Government’s Train and Tram Zone Activity Centre Program.

The initiative supports the state’s plan to deliver more than 300,000 new homes by 2051 in areas with access to public transport. Consultation for 50 new activity centres is expected to conclude early next year.

Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts Harriet Shing said the program was about creating more homes where Victorians wanted to live.