Growing Suburbs Fund

Applications to the 2021-22 Growing Suburbs Fund have now closed.

The program guidelines are available here.

The Growing Suburbs Fund (GSF) is a $375 million investment over 7 years that helps deliver critical local community infrastructure needs for our diverse and fast-growing outer suburbs. The program is positioned to quickly respond to the pressures being experienced by interface and peri-urban communities by bringing forward local community facilities that will make a big difference in the day-to-day lives of outer suburban families.

In the recent 2021-22 State Budget, the Victorian Government announced $50 million in funding for the Growing Suburbs Fund to continue to support the infrastructure needs of interface and peri-urban communities.

In the previous State Budget, the State Government invested an additional $50.2 million on top of the $25 million provided as part of the stimulus package. This second round of the 2020-21 GSF funded 35 new projects with a total project cost of $160.6 million to support community infrastructure projects across our interface and peri-urban councils. A list of the successful projects can be found below.

Since its establishment in 2015, the Growing Suburbs fund has now supported 256 projects representing a total infrastructure investment of $914.9 million.

Who is Eligible?

The 10 interface and 6 per-urban councils were eligible to apply.

• Interface councils:  Cardinia Shire Council, Casey City Council, City of Whittlesea, Hume City Council, Melton City Council, Mitchell Shire Council, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, Nillumbik Shire Council, Wyndham City Council, Yarra Ranges Shire Council.
• Peri-urban councils: Bass Coast Shire Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, Golden Plains Council, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Council,  Surf Coast Shire Council.

The fund was expanded in June 2020 to cover peri-urban councils that face similar population growth and infrastructure challenges as the Victoria’s interface councils.

Together, the interface and peri urban councils are home to 30.4 per cent of Victoria’s population, or 2.7 million people.