ResidentialLindsay SaundersThu 25 Jun 26
Controversial Former Research Site at Melbourne Begins Housing Chapter
Civil construction has begun on a long-planned residential community in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Development Victoria has now broken ground on its 19.2ha Ovata project at Knoxfield, about 35km from the CBD.
The government-backed development will deliver about 400 homes on the former Knoxfield Horticultural Research Station site at the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Road, land that has sat dormant since the facility closed in 2014.
The project will transform surplus government land into a masterplanned neighbourhood as Victoria looks to boost housing supply.
The development will comprise a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes. Sales are expected to launch later this year, with construction continuing through 2027.
Beyond housing, plans for the estate include open green spaces, a purpose-built wetlands system, walking and cycling links connecting to the Blind Creek Trail, and a mixed-use precinct fronting Burwood Highway that has been earmarked for future retail, commercial and community uses.
The site had a long agricultural history. Established by the Victorian Government in the 1940s, it operated as a horticultural research station where disease-resistant fruit and vegetable varieties were developed.
It also served as a plant quarantine and agricultural testing facility, with pesticide and herbicide trials conducted on the land from the 1950s through to the early 2000s.
Its redevelopment has not been without controversy.
Community concerns about potential contamination persisted after the site's closure, while environmental groups and the Knox City Council raised objections relating to habitat impacts, particularly for the blue-billed duck.
Extensive environmental investigations was undertaken between 2015 and 2018, which concluded the site was suitable for residential development, with contamination risks assessed as low to moderate. The project secured planning approval in 2024.
Victorian Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts Jaclyn Symes said the project would help address housing demand while incorporating environmental outcomes.
“This project will deliver hundreds of new homes for Victorians and a new wetlands system which will create a haven for wildlife,” Symes said.
The project is part of Development Victoria’s broader program of repurposing surplus government land for housing, as the state works towards increasing residential supply in established metropolitan locations.
