Victoria approves 34 First Nations townhouses in North Bendigo
The Victorian government approved 34 townhouses for First Nations people on the former North Bendigo Primary School site on 2 November, the Advertiser reports.
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The Victorian government approved a 34-dwelling development on the former North Bendigo Primary School site on Nolan Street, North Bendigo (Victoria), on 2 November 2026, according to a Bendigo Advertiser report by Brodie Everist published on 5 November. The applicant is DJAARA, and the paper says a neighbour thinks the process looked rushed.
Why it matters
The Advertiser calls the project social housing, with the homes set aside for First Nations people. DJAARA welcomed the decision, saying the community badly needs the homes.
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Dja Dja Wurrung Group chief executive Cassandra Lewis said DJAARA’s housing arm, MAYAM MAYAM (glossed by the paper as meaning “housing”), is delivering housing the Bendigo community badly needs, which she said will help ease housing and cost-of-living pressure.
The approval was made under the Development Facilitation Program, which the Advertiser describes as fast-tracked. Per the paper, the proposal reached the government at the end of June, and the public was invited to comment from 2 September.
The numbers
The Advertiser says the permit allows 34 attached and semi-detached townhouses. It lists seven one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom, four three-bedroom and one five-bedroom home, which totals 34. The site is close to a hectare.
Under the permit the townhouses are arranged around a shared central space, with two community gardens, walking areas and a small park at the block’s south-west corner.
The design report, as described by the Advertiser, says the plans grew out of a series of “wartakas”, a Dja Dja Wurrung word the paper translates as “come with purpose”. Those sessions informed the guiding principles, the layout and the buildings’ appearance, and the plans aim to keep existing Indigenous and native trees.
What’s next
A neighbour told the Advertiser the fast-track approval looked hurried, and that the proposal “has not had its due diligence”. The paper reports the neighbour made a submission on the proposal and learned of the decision by letter from the Department of Transport and Planning on 2 November.
The paper says a department spokesperson defended the approval as the result of a thorough assessment and consultation process. It also reports that, because this is a significant residential development with affordable housing, objectors cannot appeal the decision.
For another regional Victorian social housing project, see our earlier Ballarat CBD social housing story.
Source: Bendigo Advertiser, 5 November 2026. Reporting by The Australian Developer.
Quick answers
Did Victoria approve 34 First Nations townhouses in North Bendigo?
The Victorian government approved 34 townhouses for First Nations people on the former North Bendigo Primary School site on 2 November, the Advertiser reports.
What are the key numbers for Former North Bendigo Primary School site?
townhouses: 34; approval date: 2 Nov; five-bedroom home: 1.
Where does this information come from?
This story cites Bendigo Advertiser. Every source is linked on the page.
Sources
Also reported by
- Bendigo AdvertiserNorth Bendigo housing plan gets green light amid rush claims
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