About the project
Homes Victoria is redeveloping the Simmons Street (Horace Petty) housing site in South Yarra to provide more Victorians with a safe, secure place to call home. This project will create more high-quality homes and rental opportunities in South Yarra to help tackle housing affordability.
The old low-rise social housing dwellings at Simmons Street were aged and not fit for purpose. That’s why we’re planning to replace them with 522 quality new 1-, 2-, 3-and 4-bedroom homes including a mix of social, affordable, market rental and specialist disability accommodation.
The redevelopment will achieve a 34% increase in social housing as well as improved landscaping and open spaces that will complement South Yarra’s diverse and active community.
New homes at Simmons Street will be delivered under a Ground Lease Model, where Homes Victoria leases the land to project partner Building Communities to finance, design, build, manage and maintain the new housing over a 40-year term. This means that all the land remains in public ownership. There will be no sale of public land.
Did you know?
The 24,900sqm site at Simmons Street is located just 4kms from Melbourne’s CBD in the suburb of South Yarra in the City of Stonnington. The site has land capacity to provide more homes for more Victorians, and is ideally positioned close to public transport, jobs, and community services.
The new homes at Simmons Street will include 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom homes to better meet housing demand in Victoria. Future housing at Simmons Street will also include flexible design features that enable the mix of bedrooms in homes across the development to be adapted over time to accommodate changes in housing demand.
New homes at Simmons Street will include specialist disability accommodation.
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.
The redeveloped Simmons Street site will better integrate with the surrounding neighbourhood and provide quality spaces that the wider community can enjoy, including a pocket park and play space, café, bakery and gym spaces, multipurpose community room and co-working space
The project at Simmons Street site and other ground lease model sites located in Hampton East, Port Melbourne and Prahran will support approximately 7,600 jobs across the economy.
Community consultation
Between June and July 2022, we hosted stage one community consultation to encourage early ideas to shape the future of the site.
Thank you to everyone who took part in this consultation process.
Key engagement findings include:
- Quality homes that feel safe and secure
- A multipurpose community centre at the heart of the site
- Provide beautiful green spaces
- Community gardens and picnic areas for the community to enjoy
- Public art to celebrate local history and pride of place
- Bike parking and direct pathways to public transport to reduce reliance on cars
- Spaces on-site for businesses such as cafes and medical clinics.
You can read more about stage one engagement for Simmons Street on the Engage Victoria website.
What happens next?
Between 23 November and 20 December 2023, we’ll be asking for community provide feedback on plans for the Simmons Street housing site.
Community engagement on this project will be carried out in accordance with Clause 52.20 of the Yarra City Council Planning Scheme. Clause 52.20 is a streamlined planning process that facilitates development of new housing through the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build initiative. This process removes the standard planning notice and appeals processes. The planning application will be decided by the Minister for Planning.
Homes Victoria will call on residents, property owners, the community, Council and other stakeholders to view the plans for the Simmons Street housing site and provide feedback until 20 December 2023. Find out more about the Simmons Street development here.
Project timeline
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Project announcement
December 2021
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Residents at Simmons Street 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
23 November - 20 December 2023
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Main works construction commencement (pending approvals)
Late 2024
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Construction completion
By the end of 2026
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Renters welcomed back to new homes
From late 2026
Community updates
Newsletters
Fact sheets
Translated Factsheets
Contact us
Email icon:For more information about the redevelopment of Simmons Street in South Yarra please contact us: enquiries@homes.vic.gov.au
Phone icon:1800 950 100
For languages other than English, please call 131 450.