About the project
Homes Victoria, together with our not-for-profit project partner Building Communities and builder ICON, is redeveloping Barak Beacon in Port Melbourne to provide more social, affordable, market rental and specialist disability accommodation homes.
This is all part of the Victorian Government’s plan to improve housing affordability by tackling the root of the problem: building more and better homes in places where people want to live.
The 89 previous homes at the site were not fit-for-purpose and did not comply with modern design standards. The project will replace these outdated dwellings with 408 modern and energy efficient homes, with a mix of one, 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms to suit the needs of different households.
All new homes at Barak Beacon will be delivered under a Ground Lease Model. Under this model, Homes Victoria leases the land to project partner Building Communities, to finance, design, build, manage and maintain the new housing at the site for the next 40 years. This means that all land will remain in public ownership. There will be no sale of public land.
Project update
Construction of the new homes is now underway and on track for delivery from late 2026.
Piling works will occur on site until March 2025.
Piling rigs are large machines used in construction to create deep foundations for buildings and structures. They drill into the ground and insert strong piles to support the weight of the future buildings.
There will be some noise and vibrations during these works. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
There will be no construction on site during the holiday period between 20 December 2024 and 13 January 2025.
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 3 km from Melbourne’s city centre in the inner-city suburb of Port Melbourne within the City of Port Phillip. The site has the 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 support.
The new homes at Barak Beacon will be leased for a 40-year term to our not-for-profit project partner, Building Communities, which includes ICON as the builder, and Community Housing Victoria Limited as the community housing organisation. Importantly, all land at Barak Beacon will remain in public ownership, and 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 Barak Beacon development will better integrate with the surrounding neighbourhood and provide quality open spaces that residents and the local community can enjoy.
The Ground Lease Model 2 projects located in South Yarra, Hampton East, Port Melbourne and Prahran will jointly support approximately 7,600 jobs across the Victorian economy.
Community consultation
We held 2 stages of consultation to plan the future of the Barak Beacon housing site.
Stage one consultation was held between June and July 2022 and stage 2 consultation was held between 5 February and 4 March 2024.
For more information about community consultation please visit our Barak Beacon Engage Victoria webpage.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation process.
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 Building Communities to deliver project
Late 2023
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Stage 2 - community consultation
Early 2024
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Planning approval received
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
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If you wish to hear more about the Barak Beacon, Port Melbourne site and similar projects, you can subscribe to our mailing list by completing the sign-up form.
You can also subscribe to receive live project updates via text message by contacting ICON on (03) 9389 3619 or by emailing community.questions@icon.co
Community updates
Fact sheets
Translated Fact sheets
Flyer
Work notices
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 happening at Barak Beacon, Port Melbourne, please contact ICON’s 24-hour hotline on (03) 9389 3619 or email community.questions@icon.co
For more information, or to receive information in another language or an accessible format, please email portmelbourne@homes.vic.gov.au