Planning approval for Bluff Road site
Homes Victoria, together with their not-for-profit project partner Building Communities, will deliver 285 new homes, including social, affordable rental, private rental, and Specialist Disability Accommodation homes at the Bluff Road housing site in Hampton East. These homes will be close to shops, services, jobs and all the great destinations Hampton East has to offer. The redevelopment will include a 16% increase in social housing on the site to accommodate former residents and people on the Victorian Housing Register.
Building Communities has now received planning approval to deliver these modern and energy efficient new homes which will be warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer and residents will be saving on their power bills. The builder at the site is ICON.
The development will include:
· New public park in the northern part of the site, including playground, community garden and picnic area
· Quality landscaped areas and trees
· Improved pedestrian connections through the site
· Multi-purpose community room
· Space for a new cafe
· All electric, energy efficient homes
· On-site tenancy support and property maintenance.
The redevelopment is made possible through a Ground Lease Model where Homes Victoria leases the land to Building Communities to finance, design, build, operate and maintain all new homes at the site for a 40-year term. This means there is no sale of public land.
Once completed from late 2026, the new homes will be managed by one of Victoria’s leading not-for-profit housing organisations - Community Housing Limited to (CHL). CHL is part of the Building Communities consortium and will be based at the site to provide tenancy management services, run community development and engagement programs, and operate and maintain the buildings to a high standard for the next 40 years.
What did the community say?
Homes Victoria held two stages of consultation to help plan the future of the Bluff Road housing site. Stage one consultation was held between June and July 2022 where Homes Victoria sought feedback on what was important to the community, considering site constraints and opportunities to deliver new homes for people who need them most.
Stage two consultation was held between 5 February and 4 March 2024, to talk with residents, the broader community, City of Bayside, and other stakeholders about the proposed development plans for the site. The plans and supporting technical documents were made available for viewing on the Engage Victoria website.
During stage two consultation, you said that:
· Safety and security are a priority
· Minimise overshadowing and overlooking from buildings
· Reduce impacts to traffic and car parking
· Provide flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for community activities
· Manage construction impacts
· Communicate with residents about the project
All feedback received during the stage two consultation has been responded to by Building Communities in a report that was submitted as part of the planning application. This consultation report is now available to read on the Engage Victoria webpage - https://engage.vic.gov.au/project/hampton-east-housing/page/bluff-road-consultation-summary-report
Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation process and provided feedback on the development plans.
What’s happening next?
Now that the project has received planning approval, the builder ICON will begin to prepare the site for construction, which will begin in late 2024.
As previously communicated, site establishment works have commenced which includes installation of fencing around the site, and specialised contractors are carrying out soil remediation works in line with WorkSafe Victoria and Environmental Protection Authority regulations and standards in a controlled, staged process by qualified personnel.
Some additional trees will be removed that an arborist assessed as impacted by construction or that pose a safety risk. Protection zones will be set up around trees to be retained on or around the site, so they are not damaged during the construction of new homes.