The Victorian Government is looking to deliver more housing for young people and down-sizers by developing the areas around 50 train stations and tram stops in Melbourne’s inner suburbs.
In an expansion of the Government’s Activity Centre program, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny visited Middle Brighton Station to announce the station will form the heart of one of 50 new ‘train and tram zone’ Activity Centres to help deliver more than 300,000 additional homes across Melbourne by 2051.
The new ‘train and tram zones’ encourage more homes around high-frequency train lines. The first 25 zones have been announced, focusing on stations that benefit from the Metro Tunnel and the well-serviced Frankston, Sandringham, Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley Lines.
The State Government has said that Melbourne’s train network has completely transformed over the last ten years, with more services, more than 50 new or upgraded stations, 84 level crossings removed with more set to go, and the Metro Tunnel on its way in 2025.
- Seven centres connected to the new Metro Tunnel will enjoy a service boost on new trains – Carnegie, Hughesdale, Murrumbeena, Oakleigh, Middle Footscray, West Footscray and Tottenham Stations
- Six centres along the Belgrave/Lilydale Line (and the existing Camberwell and Ringwood activity centres) benefit from 5-minute peak services: Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn, Blackburn, Nunawading and Mitcham Stations
- On the Frankston Line, four centres are located at Toorak, Hawksburn, Armadale and Malvern Stations. All level crossings on this line will go, and trains will return to the City Loop when the Metro Tunnel opens
- On the Sandringham Line, where eight trains per hour run during peak times, four centres are located at North Brighton, Middle Brighton, Hampton and Sandringham Stations
- On the Glen Waverley line, where nine trains per hour run during peak times, centres are located at Tooronga Station, Darling Station, plus a combined centre covering both Gardiner and Glen Iris Stations
- One centre, Toorak Village, is a built-up area along the Route 58 tram. This centre, plus Middle Footscray, is classified as smaller ‘neighbourhood activity centres’ to plan for more modest growth
The locations for the remaining 25 of 50 ‘train and tram zone’ Activity Centres will be announced in late 2024 with the release of Plan for Victoria – a comprehensive plan to support the future of every community in the state.
All but one of the first 25 centres are based directly on train stations and all are serviced by trains, following community feedback on the ten draft Activity Centre Plans emphasising the importance of transport connections.
The locations of the centres were recommended by the Department of Transport and Planning based on an analysis of transport capacity, access to jobs and services, and environmental considerations.
The government will work with these communities to progressively introduce new planning controls – engaging with councils to understand their priorities and help enhance what’s important about their neighbourhood.
The 25 centres announced will be delivered in two tranches over the next 12 months, with timelines to be communicated clearly. The process for all 50 new centres is likely to be complete by 2026.
The 50 new centres add to the ten initial Activity Centres in Broadmeadows, Camberwell, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie, North Essendon, Preston and Ringwood – but the plans won’t be the same, because every community is different.
The State Government has said that Activity Centre planning is about building more opportunities and better communities by setting clear expectations for long-term growth, giving the community a say early, and streamlining planning to unblock home building.
Overall, the vision for train and tram zones is for taller buildings in the immediate ‘core’ at the station, with gentler, scaled height limits and more low-rise apartments and townhouses alongside existing houses in the walkable catchments surrounding.
In these catchment areas up to 800m from the station, the rights of residents to know, have their say and appeal will not change through this program, heritage and landscape overlays will stay in place, and how it works in every community will be designed in consultation with locals.
The Activity Centre Pilot Program was announced in Victoria’s Housing Statement.
Premier Allan said that building more homes around 50 inner-suburban train stations means young people have more opportunity to rent or buy a place that’s directly connected to public transport.
“I know it won’t fix everything, but it will deliver more homes and new life to inner suburbs that are full of jobs, transport and services – where young buyers and renters are currently locked out,” Premier Allan said.
Minister Kilkenny said that this isn’t about overnight change.
“This is about incremental change that sets Victoria up for the next generation, so we can have more opportunities for young people and better communities for everyone,” Minister Kilkenny said.
“Many of these communities have never had a formal plan for their future before, and this process will enhance what’s special about these suburbs while delivering more homes near transport, shops, schools, services and parks.”
Local government response
Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) CEO, Kelly Grigsby, said that consultation and co-design with the local government sector and their communities will be paramount for the successful implementation of these latest housing announcements.
“Pleasingly, the announcement of the newly identified Activity Centres acknowledged the need to engage with councils and that the centres ‘will be designed in consultation with locals’,” Ms Grigsby said.
“The MAV will continue to advocate for a meaningful partnership between State and Local Government to plan for and commit to enabling ‘development’ infrastructure in identified areas of growth and change, improve the development contribution system and ensure these funds are spent where needed locally, and to work with the development industry to identify capacity and capability gaps to ensure targets have a chance of becoming reality.
“Councils needs a seat at the table to make sure the community’s needs like green open spaces and community facilities such as schools, are planned and designed into the process as change rolls out across our neighbourhoods over the coming decades.”
Ms Grigsby said that councils across Victoria understand the need to address the housing crisis and want to see more housing.
“They’ve already been putting in the work continuing to approve permits, re-zone land and lodge planning scheme amendments to allow the possibility of additional housing stock to be built. We seek to work with the Planning Minister to open up these pathways to providing new housing development opportunities.
“As experts of our local places and communities, local government looks forward to working closely with the State Government to ensure we shape our cities and neighbourhoods to be healthy, well connected, and sustainable places where people and communities can thrive.”