More homes mean more opportunity - that's why the Allan Government is unlocking surplus Government land across the state and targeting old office buildings to turn into hundreds of new homes.
Minister for Housing and Building Harriet Shing today visited the former VicRoads Headquarters in Kew to announce the surplus government land site was rezoned, with the aim to convert an existing building on the site into housing.
VicRoads site to deliver up to 500 homes
The land was rezoned for residential and commercial use to deliver approximately 500 homes - subject to necessary approvals - including a minimum 10 per cent affordable housing component.
The Government is formally investigating repurposing the unused mid-century office building on the southern end of the site, with initial investigations showing it could be suitable for adaptive reuse because of its layout and structure.
The building is very close to the bustling Kew Junction, which is one of the 25 new 'train and tram zone' Activity Centres announced this week - for more homes for young people near transport, jobs and services.
Development Victoria is delivering a master plan for the site and will carry out further investigations, with the aim to commence early works in 2026.
The Government is also investigating partnerships with the private sector to deliver the remaining residential or mixed-use development, ensuring a diverse mix of housing options across the site.
As part of the landmark Housing Statement, the Government is working with the Property Council of Australia to explore the opportunities to convert underused office buildings in the CBD into homes.
Repurposing the old VicRoads Kew site is the first step in this revolution - providing insights into adaptation and retrofitting to support more conversions.
More surplus sites to deliver up to 350 homes
The Government is unlocking more surplus land with the potential to deliver up to 350 homes, including a minimum 10 per cent affordable housing component. Six of the sites to be unlocked are:
Surplus education land at 72-84 Belmont West Rd, Croydon South
Surplus health residential land on Grattan St in Carlton
Surplus TAFE carpark land at 377-407 Waterdale Rd, Heidelberg West
Surplus government land at 40 Lavendar Lane in Baxter
Surplus VicTrack land on McLaren St in Bendigo
Surplus VicTrack land at 58 Maurice St in Herne Hill, Geelong
These underutilised government-owned sites are ideal for homes for locals - close to existing schools, hospitals, jobs, and transport.
This is the second tranche of the Small Sites program, building on the success of the pilot program which saw strong market interest from developers for four sites in Alphington, Coburg, Preston and Malvern.
A further two sites in Oakleigh and Footscray were released by VicTrack in October last year through a separate procurement process.
This next stage of program will kick off with an Expression of Interest (EOI) campaign in April, seeking interest from developers with experience in delivering apartment and townhouse developments.
The number of homes delivered on each site is subject to relevant approvals. If approved, construction can commence in 2027.
More sites are expected to be added to the second tranche of the Small Sites program prior to the EOI release in April 2025.
All up through the program, the Government is unlocking and rezoning surplus government land in Melbourne and regional Victoria to deliver around 9,000 homes across 45 sites.
As stated by Minister for Housing and Building Harriet Shing
"Unlocking surplus government land is one of many ways we are increasing housing supply, because more young people should be able to live closer to where they grew up, and more workers deserve the opportunity of a home that's closer to their job.
"This iconic office building at the heart of the new train and tram zone in Kew Junction can now be put to really good use - giving more people in the inner east the homes that they need."
As stated by Member for Southern Metropolitan John Berger
"Kew Junction is a great place to live with heaps of transport options - putting more homes here just makes sense."
