New tax settings and faster planning approvals are changing what's worth asking about a block of land.
In May 2026, the federal government proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. At the same time, Victoria has fast-tracked planning approvals for dual occupancy and subdivision, cutting what used to take months down to as little as ten business days in eligible cases. Together, these changes are encouraging many landowners to take a fresh look at the opportunities their site may offer.
Most people start this process with a solution already in mind: renovate, subdivide, build a second dwelling, sell. But the betterstarting point is understanding the site itself, what it can carry, what it can't, and what's actually worth pursuing. That's what a feasibility study is for. It's the process that turns a hunch about your block into a clear, costed picture of what's possible, before you commit to a direction.
Here are five pathways worth understanding, and why getting the site assessment right matters more than picking a pathway first.
1. Renovate or extend
The lowest-commitment option, and often the most overlooked. Not every block needs a new build to work harder for the people living on it. An extension, a reconfigured floor plan, or a considered renovation, oriented properly to capture light and respond to climate, can resolve the same problems a rebuild would, at a fraction of the disruption and cost.
View our Renovation Projects
2. Build new, on land you already hold
The proposed changes may increase interest in new housing projects, making it a good time to explore what your site could accommodate. Under the proposed changes, negative gearing will be restricted to new builds from 1 July 2027, a shift worth factoring into any feasibility assessment for landowners weighing up their options.
It's also a chance to build properly from the ground up: sustainable architecture and environmentally friendly building design that performs for decades, not just a structure that fills the block.
We offer feasibility studies to help you work out the best use of your site, and a custom direction for what's possible on it.
Learn more about our Feasibility Study Services
3. Dual occupancy
Putting two dwellings on one block, whether that's a second home for family, a future rental, or simply making more of the land you've got. Victoria's planning reforms have made this dramatically faster to get moving on. Eligible applications can now be assessed in as little as ten business days, down from a process that used to stretch past six months once objections and delays were factored in.
That speed changes the calculation. A pathway that once felt like a multi-year undertaking can now move from idea to permit in weeks, provided the site itself can support it.
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4. Subdivision
If dual occupancy is about using your block better, subdivision is about realising its value as two separate, sellable assets. The same fast-tracked planning pathway applies. Subdivision can create flexibility, allowing landowners to sell, retain, develop or stage projects differently over time.
5. Joint venture
The pathway nobody else is talking about. Not everyone with land has the capital to develop it. Not everyone with capital has land. A joint venture brings the two together: a landowner partners with a developer, sharing the upside of a project they couldn’t have taken on alone. This is where TSW's history in development comes in. Through The Sociable Weaver Developments, we've worked at the intersection of design, sustainability and community for years, from multi-residential projects like The Commons Brunswick to greenfield development at The Cape in Cape Paterson. We're not just designing homes, we're building the relationships that let landowners unlock a site's full potential without having to fund the whole thing themselves.
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Where to from here
Every site is different, and every one of these pathways comes with its own trade-offs in cost, time and complexity. The right answer depends on what you're holding, what you want from it, and what the land itself allows. If you've got a block and you're not sure which of these fits, speak to our team, that's exactly the conversation we want to have.
Contact Us
+61 3 9068 3030 | info@thesociableweaver.com.au
Important note: the tax changes referenced in this article may change before the legislation is finalised. This article is general information only, not financial, legal or tax advice. Talk to your accountant about your specific situation, and talk to us about what's possible on your site.
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