Whitehorse Housing Strategy Review

Council is reviewing the Whitehorse Housing Strategy 2014, which is an action in the Integrated Council Plan 2025-2029.

Community engagement will start in early 2027, with opportunities to have your say and share your views.

The review will help ensure Council's approach to housing reflects the community's aspirations for growth, while responding to the State Government's housing targets and planning strategy 'Plan for Victoria'.

What is the Whitehorse Housing Strategy?

The Whitehorse Housing Strategy will guide how Council advocates for and plans housing locally. Once reviewed, the new Housing Strategy will be a 15-year plan that guides housing across Whitehorse. It will:

plan for future housing needs across the municipality
help deliver a range of housing options for people at different life stages and circumstances
balance housing growth with liveability, neighbourhood character and access to infrastructure, services and open space
respond to Victorian Government housing targets and support sustainable growth in the right locations.

The Victorian Government has set housing targets for every council across Victoria, For Whitehorse, this means planning for around 76,5000 additional homes by 2051.

What can Council influence?

Housing is shaped by all levels of government. The Whitehorse Housing Strategy will focus on areas where Council can make a difference, including planning for housing growth, managing how new development fits within local neighbourhoods, advocating for community needs and planning for infrastructure and open spaces that support a growing population.

What is outside of Council's influence?

Many housing decisions are made by the Victorian and Australian governments. This includes areas such as taxation, interest rates, rental laws, public housing delivery, major infrastructure projects and some planning approvals determined by the Victorian Government. Council can advocate on these issues but does not make the final decisions.

How you can get involved

Learn more about the Housing Strategy review - check out our summary document ( PDF 2.81MB)	November 2026 to January 2027
Community engagement - round 1 Review the discussion paper and tell us what matters most to you about housing	February 2027
Community engagement - round 2 Share your thoughts and feedback on the draft housing strategy	Mid-2027
Final Housing Strategy We'll share what we heard and how community feedback helped shape the final strategy	Late 2027

Phase 1 - Whitehorse Housing Strategy: State of Play Report 2025

Council adopted the Whitehorse Housing Strategy: State of Play Report and accompanying Background Report at its meeting on Monday 16th March 2025.

Whitehorse Housing Strategy: State of Play Report, 2025

The Whitehorse Strategy: State of Play Report (State of Play Report) includes:

updated demographic and housing information,
changes in planning policy for housing at the state and local levels and tensions between them,
a progress report on delivery of the 2014 Whitehorse Housing Strategy; and
recommendations for the approach to Phase 2 of the Housing Strategy Review.

Whitehorse Housing Strategy: State of Play Background Report

The Whitehorse Strategy: State of Play Background Report is a more detailed assessment of the history and current state of housing in Whitehorse.

Housing Supply Market Advice

Council also commissioned a report, Housing Supply Market Advice prepared by Charter Keck Cramer in August 2025. This report provides up to date information about the state of the housing market in Australia, Melbourne, and the City of Whitehorse and how Council can facilitate the supply of new housing. This report was an input into the Whitehorse Housing Strategy State of Play Report.

Planning for housing – resources

More Information

For more information, contact Council’s Strategic Planning Unit via customer.service@whitehorse.vic.gov.au or call 9262 6303.

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