Knoxfield’s Ovata estate: 400 homes and a wetland for the blue-billed duck

An endangered duck is about to get its own purpose-built sanctuary in the middle of a new Knoxfield housing estate. The Ovata development, on a 19.2-hectare former government research farm at the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Road, will deliver around 400 new homes and a dedicated wetland system designed specifically for the blue-billed duck.

For families, the display suite opens in mid-2026. Sales are expected to launch late in the year, with the first homes under construction from 2027. Full completion of the entire precinct is pencilled in for 2033, so early buyers will be living alongside ongoing building works for several years.

Ten per cent of the homes, about 40 dwellings, will be set aside as affordable housing, a mix of two- to four-bedroom townhouses and some land lots. Those are the ones likely to attract the most competition. Anyone seriously interested should register early via the Ovata Knoxfield website.

Jaclyn Symes, Victorian Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts, said the project would give hundreds of families the chance to put down roots in Melbourne’s east, “in a community built for the way people want to live today.” She also pointed to the wetlands as a “haven for local wildlife.”

Jackson Taylor, Member for Bayswater, said the development meant more housing choice for local families. “This means more housing choice for local families and a new community with the open space and connections Knoxfield deserves,” he said.

The site was once a state government horticultural research facility. Rezoning in 2018 allowed it to be repurposed for housing, but the path to approval was not smooth. Knox City Council initially refused the permits, and Development Victoria needed a VCAT decision in 2024 to direct that subdivision and wetlands permits be granted. The masterplan has since been shaped by community feedback gathered between 2019 and 2024.

That community input is most visible in the wetland design. Stormwater treatment will improve the health of Blind Creek, and the plantings and viewing platforms have been laid out with both people and the blue-billed duck in mind. A network of walking and cycling paths will connect the estate directly to the Blind Creek Trail.

If you are expecting to walk into a finished suburb in 2027, adjust your timeline. Early civil works and the wetlands are starting now, but home construction is phased. The display suite gives the first real sense of what is coming, but the full vision will roll out over most of a decade.

Families who value sustainability will find something here that is not always standard for outer-east developments. Ovata is pursuing Green Star Communities and Homes accreditation, and the wetlands are a genuine ecological feature rather than an afterthought. It also repurposes surplus government land in an already established suburb, with schools, buses and the Monash Freeway already in place, rather than pushing further into greenfield fringe.

Public transport is realistic. Bus routes run along Burwood Highway, and the Monash Freeway is close for drivers. Fairhills High School borders the site, and other schools and TAFE campuses are nearby. A future mixed-use precinct is planned for local retail and community services, though what exactly will go in there is yet to be confirmed.

For parents who want to track construction timelines or register for sales updates, the project inbox is [email protected]. The display suite address and opening hours will be published on the Ovata Knoxfield website as the mid-2026 opening approaches.