About the project
Homes Victoria together with not-for-profit partner, Building Communities including builder ICON, is redeveloping the Barak Beacon housing site to provide social, affordable rental, private rental and specialist disability accommodation homes close to all the services, jobs and great destinations Port Melbourne has to offer.
This is all part of the Victorian Government’s plan to improve housing affordability by tackling the root of the problem: building more homes for more Victorians in places where people want to live.
The 89 previous homes at the site were not fit-for-purpose and did not comply with current design standards. The project will replace these homes with 408 new modern and energy efficient homes, with a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms to suit the needs of different households.
All new homes at the Barak Beacon housing site will be delivered under a Ground Lease Model, where Homes Victoria leases the land to Building Communities to finance, build, operate and maintain the new homes for a 40-year term. This means that all land remains in public ownership. There will be no sale of public land.
Project update
Building Communities has now received planning approval for this project. Over the coming months, ICON will be preparing the site for main construction works, which will begin in late 2024.
As previously communicated, initial site preparation has commenced, involving the installation of fencing and the implementation of soil remediation works. The soil remediation works will be carried out by specialised contractors in line with WorkSafe Victoria and Environmental Protection Authority regulations and standards. This process will be carefully managed and controlled by qualified personnel.
Some additional trees will be removed that have been assessed by an arborist as being impacted by construction activities or pose a safety risk. Building Communities is currently exploring ways to donate removed trees to local organisations so that they can be repurposed.
Protection zones will be set up around trees to be retained on or around the site, so that they are not damaged during the construction of new homes.
If you have any questions or concerns about works happening at the Barak Beacon, Port Melbourne housing site, please contact ICON’s 24-hour hotline on (03) 9389 3619 or email community.questions@icon.co
Fast Facts
The 21,000 square metre Barak Beacon site is located just 3km from Melbourne’s city centre in the inner-city suburb of Port Melbourne in the City of Port Phillip. The site has land capacity to provide more and better homes for more Victorians, and is ideally positioned close to public transport, jobs, and services.
The redevelopment will include spaces for a new cafe, social enterprises, a multi-purpose community room and an on-site office for tenancy management and property maintenance.
The new homes at Barak Beacon will be leased for a 40-year term to not-for-profit project partner, Building Communities, which includes ICON as the builder, and Community Housing Victoria Limited as the community housing provider. All the land at Barak Beacon will remain in public ownership. There will be no sale of public land.
New social housing at the site will be more comfortable and less expensive to heat and cool with a 5-star Green Star rating, and 7-star NatHERS average rating.
New homes at Barak Beacon will include specialist disability accommodation.
Previous renters will have right of return to the site once the redevelopment is complete, based on their ongoing eligibility and needs.
The redeveloped Barak Beacon site will better integrate with the surrounding neighbourhood and provide quality open and communal spaces that the community can enjoy.
The Ground Lease Model 2 projects located in South Yarra, Hampton East, Port Melbourne and Prahran will support approximately 7,600 jobs across the Victorian economy.
Community consultation
We held two stages of consultation to plan the future of the Barak Beacon 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 Port Phillip, 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.
All feedback received during the stage two consultation has been responded to by Building Communities in a report that was submitted to the Minister for Planning as part of the planning application.
For more information about how we engaged the community and to view or download the stage 2 consultation report, please visit our Barak Beacon Engage Victoria webpage.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation process and provided feedback on the development plans.
Project Timeline
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Project announcement
December 2021
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Residents at Barak Beacon supported to relocate
December 2021 onwards
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Stage 1- community consultation
June-July 2022
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Enabling works commencement
Early 2023
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Appointment of project group to deliver project
Late 2023
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Stage 2 - community consultation
Early 2024
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Planning approval
July 2024
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Main works construction commencement
Late 2024
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Construction completion
By end of 2026
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Renters welcomed back to new homes
From late 2026
Fact sheets
Translated Fact sheets
Flyer
FAQs
Social housing is an umbrella term that includes community housing and public housing.
Community housing is affordable, long-term housing that is managed and supported by a community housing provider. Community housing providers are experienced, not-for-profit organisations that provide tenancy management and maintenance services, as well as community building and social support services. The future Barak Beacon housing site will be managed by an on-site community housing provider and therefore fits within this category.
Public housing is long-term housing that is managed and supported by the Victorian Government. The Office of Housing provides tenancy management and maintenance services as well as community support services. Previously, the Barak Beacon housing site was managed by the Office of Housing located in South Melbourne.
Affordable housing is a broad term that describes housing suitable for very low to moderate income households and which is priced so these households can meet essential living costs. Income thresholds are updated each year to reflect median household income per Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data. The on-site community housing provider will manage the application process for affordable homes being delivered within the GLM2 project and tenants will be offered rental agreements of three years to provide stability to residents.
Private rental housing is housing that is made available at the standard rental rate for the area. Private rental homes are advertised via popular real estate websites.
Specialist Disability Accommodation refers to a range of housing that is provided for people with high needs relating to a physical disability. It enables residents to live more independently in their home, allowing for other specific supports to be delivered better or more safely. For example, a resident might need a home with reinforced ceilings for a ceiling hoist to be installed.
While previously the Barak Beacon site was managed by the Housing Office based in South Melbourne, the future homes at the site will be managed by leading community housing provider, Community Housing Victoria Limited (CHVL) at an office located at the Barak Beacon site. From the site, CHL will deliver tenancy management, community building and property maintenance for a 40-year lease period. This includes supporting previous renters to return, and supporting people to move into the site who may be waiting for a home on the Victorian Public Housing Register. By partnering with a not-for-profit community housing provider, Homes Victoria can make the redevelopment and 40-year management of the Barak Beacon site financially viable.
Yes. Former residents of Barak Beacon will be invited to return to the new homes once they are complete. All returning renters have a right to return.
Contact us
Email icon:For any questions or concerns about works at the Barak Beacon, Port Melbourne housing site, please contact ICON’s 24-hour hotline on (03) 9389 3619 or email community.questions@icon.co.
For information about how Homes Victoria is delivering more and better homes for Victoria please contact portmelbourne@homes.vic.gov.au