Lakes Edge Housing Development

Published 16 July 2026

Southern Grampians Shire Council has endorsed the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for the Lakes Edge development, marking an important milestone for the future growth of Hamilton.

The endorsed ODP provides the strategic framework for the staged development of the Lakes Edge land, with plans for approximately 280 to 340 new residential lots, a childcare centre, convenience store, public open space, upgraded road infrastructure and new walking and cycling connections.

Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor Dennis Heslin said the decision followed community consultation and technical assessments.

"This is an important step forward in the planning for Hamilton's future while ensuring the development is supported by appropriate infrastructure and careful planning," Cr Heslin said.

"We thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback during the public exhibition period. The community raised valuable issues around traffic, drainage, lot sizes, open space and infrastructure, and these have been carefully considered throughout the assessment process.

“The major change to the ODP following consultation confirms the average lot size will be 525sqm, and moving the intersection upgrade proposed for Ballarat and Rippon Roads from stage 3 to stage 2 of the development.

“Other changes include incorporating bike path connections, drainage infrastructure, and the recognition of the Cultural Heritage Management Plan.”

The ODP was publicly exhibited for 28 days, generating two petitions, three written submissions, 50 online submissions and a resident deputation to Council. Common themes included the timing of the Ballarat Road and Rippon Road intersection upgrade, traffic management, stormwater drainage, housing density, lot sizes, public open space and the proposed childcare centre.

Council's assessment found the ODP is consistent with the requirements of the Section 173 Agreement and supported by detailed technical investigations, including traffic, drainage, environmental and infrastructure planning.

The development is expected to occur over four stages, with the southern section of the site proposed as the first stage of construction.

While the ODP establishes the overall vision for the development, each stage of subdivision will still require separate planning approval under the Southern Grampians Planning Scheme.

Future planning permit applications will be subject to further technical assessment and, where required, public notification. Detailed matters including traffic management, stormwater design, landscaping, environmental outcomes and infrastructure delivery will continue to be assessed as part of those planning processes.

“We had a number of residents present well considered deputations on the project on Tuesday evening and we thank them for their time. We will continue to work with residents as planning permits for each of the stages are lodged.

"The development will continue to undergo rigorous planning assessment to ensure community expectations, planning requirements and infrastructure standards are met as the development progresses.

“Our housing market and renting availability has long been under pressure, preventing recruitment of key workers across all industries including health care, education, key services for a number of years. This development will help alleviate that pressure and help the Southern Grampians – in particular, Hamilton – grow,” concluded Cr Heslin.

The Lakes Edge development is expected to deliver a diverse range of housing opportunities while supporting Hamilton's long-term population growth and providing new community infrastructure for current and future residents.

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Published on 21 April 2026

Southern Grampians Shire Council is currently seeking feedback on the Lakes Edge Housing Development Outline Development Plan.

The Outline Development Plan (ODP) proposed by land developers Piece Property, is a high-level plan to show how the new area will be developed including housing specifications, roads, parks, drainage and services, providing Council a plan for the new development.

The development will see approximately 300 – 320 new homes built within the residential zone, varying in land size from smaller, 300m2 lot sizes, up to lots sizes over 1,000m2. The development will be progressed over time, with building expected to be completed over four stages.

Southern Grampians Shire Council CEO Tony Doyle encourages residents to review the Plan and share their thoughts.

“It’s really important for our Southern Grampians residents review the Plan to ensure the development will meet the future needs of this community,” said Mr Doyle.

"Whether the feedback is related to the proposed block sizes, dwelling types, the public open space, or road connections – your thoughts are vital in shaping the useability of the development.

“The Plan features vital information about the sequence in which stages will be completed, the movement plan for traffic and pedestrian management, as well as the future land use plan outlining proposed block sizes and placement of community conveniences,” concluded Mr Doyle.

The ODP has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of a Section 173 Agreement between Southern Grampians Shire Council and Piece Property. The Agreement sets out a range of requirements including for the owner to submit an Outline Development Plan (ODP) to Council for approval.

Public exhibition will run from Tuesday 21 April – Monday 18 May 2026 with feedback to be presented to Council in June 2026. Feedback can be provided online via the Council Engage website or in writing. Over the coming week, nearby residents will receive a letter with a FAQ sheet outlining frequently asked questions on the development.

Visit engage.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/lake-hamilton-housing-development to complete the online survey.

Published 6 September 2024

A new housing estate in Hamilton is one step closer to reality as Council enters into a sales contract for the land at Lakes Edge. Melbourne based company Piece Property Pty Ltd will develop Lakes Edge as a Masterplanned community, offering a range of housing product, to relieve pressure on the region’s housing market as well as supply of a much-needed childcare facility.

The need for new housing was identified by Council as a key priority to address shortages in the shire and to assist local businesses with recruitment key skills shortages.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) process for the sale of the 22 hectares of Council land began in December 2023. In February 2024, the EOI period closed with nine submissions received. Following an extensive evaluation and interview process, Piece Property Pty Ltd were determined to be the preferred developer and last month, Council resolved to sell the land at Lakes Edge to the value of $4.5M.

Piece Property, who have project managed the delivery of over 3000 residential allotments, envisage delivering a range of lots, housing types and price points through the development. Their development proposal involves an estimated $52 million investment, with $45 million allocated for civil construction. This project is expected to generate approximately 60 local jobs during the subdivision's construction.

An additional proposal put forward by Piece Property, is to build a childcare centre within the estate - an investment of approximately $3.2M creating approximately 30 jobs local while under construction and approximately 20 ongoing jobs once the centre is operational.

Mayor Cr David Robertson said entering into sales contracts was a very significant milestone for both Council and the community.

“Council's vision is for the Southern Grampians Shire to be ‘a place of choice to live, work and invest in’. With more housing on the horizon through this sale at Lakes Edge, we really can start to make this vision a reality for our Shire”, said Cr Robertson.

“Lakes Edge has the potential to yield 230-260 housing lots, depending on how the land is utilised, which is a huge increase for the town. The proposed building of a childcare centre will provide immense relief for many local families as we understand it’s incredibly difficult at present to get childcare places.

“Developing this land offers a very promising solution to alleviate the current housing shortage in Hamilton, particularly for our key workers, allowing us to meet the growing demand within the region. The creation of so many jobs throughout the construction phase will also be a great boost for our local economy”, said Cr Robertson.

Director Projects, Acquisitions & Delivery at Piece Property, Andrew Almenara, said there has been a great deal happening behind the scenes and they’re excited to start talking with the Hamilton community about the development.

“We’re really looking forward to working with local community to deliver masterplan for Hamilton. We want to hear directly from locals about the mix of housing and designs we should be delivering and what we can do to provide the best possible outcome for the community. We’re also looking forward to discussing the plans for the new Childcare centre, which we hope will have up to 122 places which we believe will be a great relief for local families,” Mr Almenara said.

Community and stakeholder engagement will be undertaken by Piece Property this month to guide and inform the detailed development plan. This engagement will involve consulting with residents and key stakeholders to determine the lot mix and size range, housing solutions, target market, home designs that are sympathetic to current surroundings and initiatives that could enhance or celebrate the community.

Sessions will be held at the Hamilton Golf Club on Wednesday 11 September at 11am and 4:30pm.

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Published 29 July 2024

At the unscheduled Council meeting on 24 July 2024, Southern Grampians Shire Council endorsed its preferred developer for the sale of Lakes Edge land following an expression of interest process that attracted strong interest from the market.

There remains a significant body of work to finalise the contract, particularly the accompanying Section 173 agreement which ensures Council’s expectations for the site are met during the development. The developers' details will remain confidential until these documents are finalised.

With approximately 22 hectares of Council owned vacant land (pending planning approval), Lakes Edge has the potential to yield 230-260 housing lots, depending on how the land is utilised.

“This is a very exciting outcome for the Shire,” said Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor David Robertson.

“Developing this land offers a very promising solution to alleviate the current housing shortage in Hamilton, particularly for our key workers, allowing us to meet the growing demand within the region.

"As you can imagine with a contract of this size, there is significant paperwork to go through before we are able to publicly release the preferred developer, which we look forward to doing as soon as possible.

"Council are excited to work with developers to make this land release a reality for our region," concluded Cr Robertson.

The Lakes Edge development is a key strategic priority for Council with the objective to provide residential development sites, to alleviate the chronic housing shortage, particularly key worker housing in Hamilton.

Council's 2041 Community Vision outlines a vision for the Shire to be "a place of choice to live, work and invest in" with a focus on sustainable development and infrastructure.

Council's Community Investment plan also highlights the need for affordable housing and advocates for investment in infrastructure to support new housing developments, with a focus on increasing the supply of affordable housing for keyworkers.