What do a former Bunnings site in Preston, a regional radio station in Bendigo and surplus land at a Melbourne school have in common?
According to the Victorian government, they could all soon be transformed into new housing.
Under its Unlocking Strategic Sites pathway, the state government has identified a pipeline of underutilised land across Victoria that could be fast‑tracked for residential development, with the aim of delivering around 10,000 new homes.
Together, the seven sites could deliver up to 9155 new homes. Picture: Getty
The initiative expands on the existing Development Facilitation Program, which provides expedited planning pathways.
The new pathway is designed to speed up the rezoning of land that is no longer being used to its full potential. This includes former industrial sites, golf courses, racetracks, surplus education land and other large parcels that are well located but have remained idle.
Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny announced the first seven sites to be progressed under the program, which together could deliver up to 9155 homes and create around 8900 jobs.
The sites span both established metropolitan suburbs and key regional centres, reflecting a push to boost housing supply in areas experiencing population growth and demand pressure.
The seven sites include:
- Surplus land at Mount Scopus Memorial College in Burwood
- A former Bunnings retail site in Preston
- Rezoned land at Wodonga Golf Club in Wodonga West
- Rezoned land at La Trobe University in Bundoora
- Land on the edge of the Kilmore Racing Club facility in Kilmore
- A former radio station site in Bendigo
- The former Radio Australia site in North Shepparton.
Ms Kilkenny said the sites had remained underused for years, despite being well positioned to support new homes and local jobs.
“If land is ready for housing, it shouldn’t be stuck waiting to be rezoned – we are cutting red tape to get more homes built sooner and where we need them most,” she said.
According to the government, rezoning land through the traditional council planning process can take more than two years.
This pathway is intended to cut that timeframe roughly in half, allowing projects to move from identification to delivery more quickly.
The sites were first identified through an expression of interest process, which ran for eight weeks and closed in November 2025. Councils and industry were invited to nominate suitable surplus sites that could be rezoned through the Development Facilitation pathway, with submissions required to meet specific eligibility criteria.
The government said each project would still be subject to planning assessment and community consultation. Every development progressed through the program will also be required to include a minimum of 10% affordable housing.
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