New Plan for Victoria
Learn more about the State Governments new plan for Victoria.
Plan for Victoria, which was released on 28 February 2025, sets the state-wide vision for how Victoria will grow over time. The Plan replaces the existing metropolitan strategy Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 and regional growth plans. The Plan contains five pillars of action:
- Housing for all Victorians
- Accessible jobs and services
- Great places
- Sustainable environments
- Self-determination and caring for Country.
The plan is designed to deliver more homes, create more jobs and great communities. It details clear actions, including:
- Sets a target for the Yarra planning scheme to cater for an extra 44,000 dwellings (see Housing Targets for Yarra).
- Identifies Yarra as an Activity Centre and part of inner metro area along with City Melbourne.
- Implement new planning controls to streamline planning in activity centres.
- Increase the speed of the statutory planning permit application process.
- Protect and enhance canopy trees in established areas.
- Introduce minimum standards and guidance for open space in established areas.
- Encourages walking and cycling.
Yarra submitted its response to the Plan for Victoria and the draft Housing Target in August 2024. Officers addressed the following key matters in the submission:
- The draft Housing Target for Yarra is substantially higher than recent forecasts, including Victoria in the Future 2023.
- The targets are partly aspirational and intended to support long-term housing supply. They are forecasts only and do not provide absolute certainty about what will happen in practice, as accuracy decreases over time.
- If all future development occurs within activity centres, Yarra could accommodate sufficient dwelling capacity until at least 2044.
- The draft targets do not address housing diversity, dwelling sizes or the provision of social and affordable housing.
- Housing growth must be balanced with the retention of employment land.
- The State Government must commit adequate funding to deliver actions in the Plan.
- Sustainability actions must be accelerated in response to the climate emergency.