Abstract: This paper aims to discover why urban consolidation in Melbourne has been implemented with difficulties and thus progressed at a slow pace, by analysing the key stakeholders’ perception of the planning and development processes and their responses to the perceived issues. Data were collected from 11 semi-structured interviews with key personnel who were in senior positions in organizations that are directly involved with residential development and/or planning in the Monash Employment Cluster. The analysis of the interview responses show that there was a significant difference in stakeholders’ perception of the metropolitan plan, understanding of the planning system, opinion about the objectives set out in the plan and their personal motivation for following the guidelines in the plan. The analysis leads to questions about the quality of the plan, which is undermined by unclear objectives and lack of analytical depth; as a result, stakeholders often used their powers for different purposes and lacked a coordinated approach to consolidating the built environment.