Yarra Valley Country Club Rezoning Unlocks Prime Bulleen Precinct

When YVCC Property Pty Ltd first lodged planning documentation for the former Yarra Valley Country Club site at Bulleen, the Victorian government had a different premier, Melbourne had a different planning minister and Australia had a different prime minister.

That was September 2015. The rezoning finally landed in April 2026 and it clears the way for one of the most significant urban consolidation projects in Melbourne’s inner-northeast.

Formalised on April 9, 2026 under Amendment C125mann to the Manningham Planning Scheme, it enables YVCC Property Pty Ltd to progress the preparation and lodgement of a Development Plan for the 4.2ha site.

The proposed Development Plan would accommodate between 250 and 350 townhouses and low-rise apartments (indicative renderings top and below), with access to activity centres, public transport, schools and parkland in an established suburban setting.

The project also delivers a substantial community infrastructure commitment: 18.2ha adjoining the Heide Museum sculpture park will be contributed to extend the Yarra River Parklands and Birrarung Cultural Trail, providing a permanent link between the development and the river corridor.

The final phase of the planning process moved quickly once Anna Martiniello of Urbanexus was appointed to lead strategy in March 2025, with rezoning formalised within 13 months of that appointment.

The outcome drew on a specialist consultant team assembled across the project’s life, including town planner Tract Consultants, planning lawyer Property & Planning Partners and community engagement consultant Redbridge Group.

Site owner Bruce Mathieson Jnr said the “outcome demonstrates what can be achieved when stakeholders engage in good faith, recognising that each party brings legitimate obligations and concerns that must be thoughtfully addressed”.

“By maintaining a shared focus on delivering a positive community outcome, the project’s stakeholders have worked collaboratively to unlock much-needed housing supply in a constrained pocket of Melbourne,” Mathieson Jnr told The Urban Developer.

Urbanexus has a successful a track record delivering this type of project.

The firm’s portfolio includes the redevelopment of Kingswood Golf Course, the HM Prison Pentridge site and the Pakenham Racecourse—each a former large-format, single-use site repositioned as a residential community through complex planning and stakeholder processes.

The Bulleen project aligns with Plan for Victoria, Victoria’s Housing Statement and the Manningham Planning Scheme, supporting housing diversity, affordability and environmental stewardship.

With rezoning secured, YVCC Property Pty Ltd will advance the Development Plan in collaboration with a design team led by Rothelowman and Aspect Studios.

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