The Strategy provides Council’s long-term strategic direction to meet the varied housing needs of our current and future residents over the next 15 years. It also provides clear direction on locations where housing growth should occur, while also balancing the importance of the environment, neighbourhood character and liveability.

Projections for the City of Glen Eira’s population growth forecast that approximately 30,000 more people will call Glen Eira home in 2036 than in 2021.  This new population will need between 12,000 and 13,000 dwellings to accommodate them.

The Housing Strategy ensures sufficient housing land is available to accommodate projected growth.  As our population and household structures also become more diverse, the Housing Strategy provides for more diverse types of housing.

The Strategy also seeks to balance environmental considerations and benefits of new housing in line with Council’s Our Climate Emergency Response Strategy. The Housing Strategy helps us respond to climate change by being specific about the location of growth in Glen Eira, allowing more dwellings to be built close to shops, services and public transportation. It also seeks to improve landscaping and tree planting outcomes in new housing developments — which keeps streets cooler and encourages wildlife.  

The adoption of the Housing Strategy follows extensive research, two rounds of community engagement, development of a draft and careful consideration of community and expert consultant feedback.

Now that the Strategy has been endorsed specific planning scheme policies and controls will be drafted to ensure that its objectives can be implemented.  This further detail will be presented to Council in mid-2023. If endorsed, Council will seek the approval of the Minister for Planning to progress a planning scheme amendment, the statutory process required to include new policy in our Planning Scheme.

The amendment process requires a formal exhibition period where members of the community have the opportunity to make written submissions to outline their views on the changes suggested to the Planning Scheme.