North Essendon limits building heights, requires developer infrastructure funding

North Essendon has been designated one of 10 Victorian Pilot Activity Centres to deliver between 5,100 and 6,200 new homes by 2051 under Victoria's Housing Statement. The plan applies updated planning controls to accelerate housing approvals near transport and jobs, with the changes subject to gazettal before they take effect. Local residents in the activity centre and surrounding catchments will encounter new rules on building heights and requirements for developers to fund roads, parks and community facilities.

Height controls across catchments

The North Essendon Activity Centre core permits a maximum of 10 storeys. Inner catchments are capped at four storeys, rising to six on larger blocks, while outer catchments allow three storeys and up to four on larger blocks. These limits directly shape where taller buildings can be placed relative to existing homes and streets in North Essendon. Residents living in the inner and outer areas will see development scaled according to these catchment rules rather than uniform high-rise approvals.

The 60-unit Wominjeka Apartments, Essendon's first community housing development, opened in December 2025. It targets the suburb's shortage of affordable housing and provides one concrete example of the type of project the pilot centre aims to support at greater scale. Families and individuals seeking lower-cost rental options in the area stand to gain from additional similar units if the controls speed approvals.

Infrastructure contributions and next steps

From 1 January 2027, developers building new homes inside the North Essendon Pilot Activity Centre must contribute to local infrastructure. This requirement links new housing supply to funding for roads, parks and community facilities that serve existing and incoming residents. The measure applies only to projects within the designated centre boundaries.

Updated planning controls remain subject to gazettal and are intended to take effect soon. Once gazetted, the rules will govern development applications in the activity centre, determining how quickly additional homes can proceed near transport and jobs. Residents can expect the process to follow the formal gazettal timeline rather than an immediate rollout.

The combination of height limits, the existing Wominjeka Apartments precedent and the 2027 infrastructure contribution date sets the framework for housing changes that will affect daily access to services and amenities for people already living in North Essendon.