Construction has started on a major housing development in Melbourne’s east, with around 400 new homes planned for a former horticultural research site in Knoxfield.
The project, known as Ovata, is being delivered on surplus government land and forms part of broader efforts to increase housing supply across Victoria. The development will feature a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes designed to cater to a range of household sizes and budgets.
Alongside new housing, plans for the site include open green spaces, a purpose-built wetlands system, and walking and cycling links connecting residents to the nearby Blind Creek Trail. A mixed-use precinct fronting Burwood Highway has also been earmarked for future retail, commercial and community services.
Victorian Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts Jaclyn Symes said the project would create new housing opportunities while incorporating environmental features.
“This project will deliver hundreds of new homes for Victorians and a new wetlands system which will create a haven for local wildlife,” she said.
“Hundreds of families will get the chance to put down roots in Melbourne’s east, in a community built for the way people want to live today.”
Member for Bayswater Jackson Taylor said the development would provide additional housing options for local residents.
“This means more housing choice for local families and a new community with the open space and connections Knoxfield deserves,” he said.
The project comes as Victoria continues to face pressure to increase housing supply amid population growth and ongoing affordability challenges. Governments and industry groups have argued that bringing surplus public land into residential use can help deliver additional housing in established suburbs with existing infrastructure and transport connections.
However, housing policy remains a contested political issue. The Victorian Government has promoted planning reforms and new housing projects as part of its strategy to improve supply, while opposition parties have raised concerns about aspects of planning changes and local development impacts.
Sales for the Knoxfield development are expected to open in late 2026, with construction scheduled to continue through 2027. Once completed, the project will transform a former research facility into a new residential neighbourhood in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
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