Keilor residents split over six-storey apartment development on Milleara Road

The Keilor City Council logged a planning application on 2 July for an 85-unit apartment building at 45 Milleara Road, directly across from the Keilor Recreation Reserve.

The timing coincides with a 19 per cent rise in rental vacancy rates across Keilor since January, pushing median weekly rents to $485 for two-bedroom units. Local agents report multiple families relocating from the area because no suitable stock is listed under $550,000.

Keilor Traders Association has tracked foot traffic at the Keilor Village Shopping Centre drop 12 per cent year-on-year, a figure it links to younger workers leaving for newer suburbs with more housing choices.

Resident concerns focus on daily impacts

Objectors gathered 312 signatures in ten days, arguing the building would add 140 extra cars to already congested intersections at Old Calder Highway and Church Street. They note the nearest primary school, Keilor Primary, already runs a drop-off queue that backs onto Milleara Road during morning peak.

Traffic counts commissioned by the residents show 1,850 vehicles pass the site between 7am and 9am on weekdays. Several submissions warn that construction would last at least 22 months and block access to the reserve's sports fields used by three local clubs.

Developer case rests on supply numbers

The applicant, a local firm called North West Projects, states the development would deliver 62 one- and two-bedroom units priced from $435,000, aimed at first-home buyers and downsizers. Company documents lodged with the council estimate the project would generate 48 construction jobs over two years and $2.1 million in infrastructure contributions.

North West Projects points to the council's own housing strategy, adopted in March 2025, which identified a shortfall of 1,400 dwellings by 2030. The firm has offered to widen the footpath along Milleara Road and fund new lighting at the reserve entrance.

The statutory exhibition period ends on 22 July. Council planners have scheduled a public information session at the Keilor Community Centre for 18 July at 7pm, where residents can view updated traffic modelling before the planning committee meets on 5 August.

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.