Growing Suburbs Fund

The 2024-25 Growing Suburbs Fund (GSF) is a contribution by the Victorian Government towards local community infrastructure needs for our fast-growing outer suburbs within the 7 growth councils.

The GSF is a response to the needs if growing communities through fast-tracking high priority local infrastructure projects. These projects contribute to more resilient and liveable communities and improved capacity for councils to respond to changing community needs and demands.

The 2024-25 Growing Suburbs Fund (GSF) is a $5 million funding round towards local community infrastructure needs within the 7 growth councils.

The GSF contributes to meeting local infrastructure needs for communities in our changing and fast-growing outer suburbs. It is positioned to quickly respond to the pressures being experienced by growing communities by speeding up infrastructure projects that will make a difference to the liveability and resilience of these areas.

Grants will be targeted towards high priority community infrastructure and planning projects that:

• Increase social and economic participation in Melbourne’s fast growing outer suburbs.
• Meet the health and wellbeing needs of people in fast growing outer suburbs.
• Increase local economic activity.
• Improve capacity for councils to respond to changing community needs and demands.
• Plan for and/or deliver integrated or multi-purpose community infrastructure.
• Advance inclusive and accessible development by ensuring investments are universally designed, environmentally sustainable and strategically planned
• Create a safe and engaging environment for disadvantaged community members.
• Contribute to improved gender equality in line with the Gender Equality Act 2020.
• Progress key priorities of the Victorian Closing the Gap implementation plan by delivering important cultural community infrastructure, and further enhancing the partnership between government sectors, First Nations community-controlled organisations, and the wider community.

The GSF will support projects that have a direct benefit to communities and surrounding catchment areas across the following infrastructure categories:

• multi-purpose or integrated community facilities (these projects will be prioritised for funding across both grants)
• placemaking, civic amenity, and open spaces
• purpose-built facilities that respond to the needs of First Nations communities
• early education, libraries, learning and training facilities that have dedicated community spaces and facilitate multiuse purposes
• sport, recreation, and leisure facilities that have dedicated community space and support multiuse purposes.

For project planning grants, the GSF will support:

• single site facility planning for the above infrastructure categories
• development of a pipeline of projects across multiple sites for the above infrastructure categories.

Planning activities must support project readiness and may include:

• Designs (minimum schematic) and/or Quantity Surveyor and/or Technical or Specialised Reports
• Master planning across 3 or more sites
• Feasibility studies for one or more significant projects.

Applications for planning or delivery of multi-purpose or integrated community facilities will be prioritised for funding.

Projects must:

• be delivered by qualified professionals
• incorporate Universal Design principles
• incorporate Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles.

In addition, the program will consider proposals put forward by eligible councils for funding in partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, and not-for-profit or private sector organisations. These proposals must:

• align to the program criteria
• demonstrate the existing partnerships between the sectors, and endorsement of the project evidenced by letters of support from both council and the organisation.

The 2024-25 Growing Suburbs Fund is open to Melbourne’s 7 growth councils.

Applications for funding are invited from the 7 eligible growth councils:

• Cardinia Shire Council
• Casey City Council
• Hume City Council
• Melton City Council
• Mitchell Shire Council
• Whittlesea City Council
• Wyndham City Council

While only the 7 growth councils can apply for funding, First Nations community-controlled organisations, and not-for-profit or private sector organisations are encouraged to partner with these councils to put forward proposals for the 2024-25 GSF.

Applicants must consult the Growing Suburbs Fund team in the Department of Transport and Planning before 28 February 2025 to discuss their project proposals. This will provide the opportunity for the department to discuss with each council the eligibility of the proposed projects and their alignment with the program objectives.

Where a project has not been discussed with the department, the project will not be considered for funding.

Applicants are required to make cash contributions of at least a 1:1 ratio of grant funding.

Projects are required to commence within 18 months of the grant being announced and be completed within 24 months of the commencement.

The 2024-25 Growing Suburbs Fund is not available for the following activities and/or situations:

Infrastructure Grants

• projects that have already commenced construction (including but not limited to site clearing, earthworks, building works and any form of early works).
• land that is not appropriately zoned for the proposed activity and may be subject to a planning scheme amendment.
• projects that are sporting pavilions that cannot demonstrate a dedicated community use space(s) to host community activities for groups other than the resident sporting clubs.
• projects that are delivering new or upgraded sports fields or sports courts.
• projects located on land that is in the process of or yet to be acquired.
• infrastructure that is fully scoped and funded through a Development Contribution Plan (DCP), Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) or infrastructure which is subject to a Section 173 agreement unless it can be clearly demonstrated that the program funds will bring forward delivery, or that the actual costs of delivering the infrastructure materially exceed the total of developer and Council contributions.
• temporary buildings or improvements undertaken prior the delivery of a future and permanent facility.
• routine or ongoing maintenance activities, cosmetic works, repair of facilities damaged by vandalism, fire or other natural disasters where the damage should be covered by insurance.
• recurrent operating costs, including utilities and staffing resources.
• projects that only involve civil works such as roads and associated footpaths, drainage, waste, resurfacing, car parks, and public transport infrastructure.
• construction of infrastructure that does not have a direct community benefit or address an identified community need.
• service connections (while these elements will form part of construction, council contributions should be used for these purposes).
• bundling of small projects into a larger project for submission.
• project proposals that have not clearly identified the scope and parameters of the project to be delivered.

Project planning grants

• Cultural Heritage Management Plans, Facility Asset Audits or specific facility business case, advocacy documents or management plans.
• Single site master plans.

The Suburbs Unit uses an online grants portal for applications and grant agreement reporting.

We strongly recommend that you create generic login credentials (that is, not directed to a specific person) for your organisation to access the portal. This will allow you to share access to the portal across your organisation to review and approve relevant documentation throughout the project lifecycle.

To apply, please visit the Business Victoria Grants Portal using the links below.

Application Form - Planning Grant - Growing Suburbs Fund 2024/25

Application Form - Infrastructure Grant - Growing Suburbs Fund 2024/25

For support, please contact the Programs team in the Suburbs Unit,  Department of Transport and Planning at revitalisation.programs@transport.vic.gov.au

The 2023-24 Growing Suburbs Fund successful recipients and projects are listed on this page.