Yarra Ranges Council has launched the Lilydale Investment Blueprint, putting a spotlight on the town's significant investment potential and inviting investors, developers, property owners, businesses and government partners to help shape Lilydale's next chapter.
The Blueprint brings together the town's major assets, strategic sites, infrastructure and future opportunities to present a coordinated investment proposition for Yarra Ranges' major activity centre.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Cr Richard Higgins said the Blueprint encourages early conversations with investors to identify opportunities, navigate challenges and to keep the big picture of a stronger Lilydale at the heart of any development.
"We want Lilydale to be a place where more people can live, learn, work and play, with greater housing choice, more local jobs and services, great hospitality, and welcoming places for people to meet and spend time," Cr Higgins said.
The Blueprint identifies opportunities across housing and mixed-use development, health and wellbeing, education and skills, professional and commercial services, visitor accommodation and hospitality, retail, employment and enterprise, and shared public space.
While planning controls, permit requirements and the need for proper due diligence will all be maintained, the Blueprint provides a shared starting point for better conversations, clearer decisions, and more coordinated delivery.
"The Blueprint positions Council as a proactive partner, ready to engage early and constructively to help enable the right development outcomes for investors, the community and the environment," Cr Higgins said.
"Lilydale is entering a period of growth and change, with a growing population, recent investment in transport infrastructure and a strategic location between Melbourne's east and one of Victoria's most popular regional destinations."
"The Lilydale Investment Blueprint is about ensuring these shifts create positive opportunity by leveraging the area's strengths and helping deliver investment that benefits both the local economy and the wider community.
Council's Economic Development and Investment team will provide a dedicated point of contact to help investors, developers and landowners explore opportunities and connect with the relevant areas across Council.
The Blueprint builds on the planning direction established through the Lilydale Structure Plan, which was adopted by Council in 2022, following extensive community consultation. While community views on growth and development are diverse, the consultation confirmed a shared desire for Lilydale to retain the country town character, history and distinctive sense of place that many value.
As Lilydale evolves to accommodate significant population and employment growth, Council has also been encouraged by conversations with investors and developers who recognise the importance of respecting and enhancing the town's unique identity, including its longstanding appeal as a gateway between Melbourne and the Yarra Valley.
The Structure plan outlines how Council will manage growth, facilitate change and guide infrastructure delivery within the Lilydale Major Activity Centre over the next 20 years.
Yarra Ranges Council Chief Executive Officer Tammi Rose said the Blueprint was designed to move the conversation from Lilydale's potential to practical investment opportunities.
"We know significant investment and development proposals can be complex. We want people to come and talk to us early, before plans are fixed, so we can understand the idea, help clarify the pathway and connect people with the right areas of Council," Ms Rose said.
"Success will not simply be measured by the launch of the Blueprint. It will be measured by what happens next — the conversations, partnerships, businesses and investment that contribute to a stronger and more vibrant Lilydale."
The Blueprint has also been shaped by input from local property owners and investment partners who see opportunities to unlock greater scale, confidence and investment in the Lilydale market.
Council is inviting investors, developers, property owners, businesses and government partners to explore the Lilydale Investment Blueprint and start a conversation about opportunities to invest in the town's future.
Graham Reynolds, Principal of Woodards Real Estate Lilydale, said the coordinated approach could help give investors greater confidence in Lilydale.
"It brings a level of coordination and scale that gives confidence to the market and to investors looking for well-located, transport-connected opportunities."
The Blueprint will also support Council's advocacy to the Victorian and Australian Governments for infrastructure and public investment that can help enable Lilydale's continued growth.
Cr Higgins said the launch marked the beginning of an exciting time for the area.
"We are inviting prospective partners to look at Lilydale differently. Explore the opportunities, talk to us about your ideas and consider the role you could play in helping to solidify Lilydale as the Gateway to Grow."
Lilydale Investment Blueprint Business Yarra Ranges
