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Collingwood Town Hall Precinct affordable key worker housing

Yarra City Council is committed to facilitating the delivery of key worker affordable housing.

About

Council has begun a process to lease approximately 2,000 square metres of land at the end of Eddy Court in Abbotsford behind Collingwood Town Hall for affordable housing.

The lease would enable the development of rental housing for key workers: people who work in Yarra in roles like teaching, nursing, police, retail and hospitality. This affordable housing would allow workers who traditionally can’t afford rent in Yarra to settle in the city they work in. 

Consultation on whether or not to lease or sell the land was undertaken from 17 November to 15 December. The consultation was in line with Sections 114 and 115 of the Local Government Act. 

At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 14 April 2026, Council considered community feedback on this proposal and voted to begin a process to identify a development partner for the site. The development partner would lease the land and would be responsible for the design, approvals, construction and operation of the affordable housing project. At that meeting the project requirements were also confirmed. Those requirements include:

  • A maximum of 8 storeys 

  • A pedestrian link through the site connecting Eddy Court Reserve, the Collingwood Town Hall, and the Djerring Centre

  • Respecting the important heritage context in which it sits plus and incorporating Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) 

The Council’s requirements will be secured by way of conditions in the lease. There will be a requirement for monitoring, compliance, and reporting.

Next Steps  

Council will seek Expressions of Interest (EOI) from developers, medium-scale builders, real estate agents and community housing organisations to undertake this project. The first stage of the EOI opened on 9 May and will close on the 15 June 2026. The matter will come back to a Council meeting later in 2026 to either enter into a lease with the preferred submitter, or to halt the project.