Melbourne Cabinet Finalizes Housing Density Reforms Next Month Amid Council Responses

The Victorian government has set a 22 July cabinet date to approve the final version of planning scheme amendments that lift density controls in 28 activity centres across Melbourne.

The timing matters because the state needs to deliver 80,000 extra homes by 2031 under its own housing statement, and local councils must rewrite their structure plans before the next financial year begins.

Merri-bek City Council staff have already mapped extra height limits along Sydney Road in Brunswick and at the Upfield corridor stations, while the City of Yarra is running parallel work on sites near Victoria Street in Abbotsford and the former gasworks land in Fitzroy North.

Evidence from recent approvals

Department of Transport and Planning figures released last week show medium-density approvals in the inner north rose 22 per cent in the 2025-26 financial year, with average apartment prices in those corridors now sitting at $685,000.

That pace has prompted both councils to request extra state funding for drainage upgrades before any new permits are issued.

Key decisions still to come

Public consultation sessions open at Brunswick Town Hall on 18 July and at Fitzroy Town Hall on 25 July, with written submissions closing 15 August.

Councillors in both municipalities will then vote on their revised structure plans in September, after which the state Minister for Planning will decide whether to accept, amend or reject the local documents.

Residents who want to track the process can register for updates through the City of Yarra and Merri-bek planning portals or attend the scheduled briefings at those two town halls.