Today, the Victorian government released draft maps, revealing the proposed heights and boundaries for 23 Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres around Melbourne. The idea of this is that more homes, like townhouses or apartments, will be built in areas that are close to public transport, jobs, local services and green spaces. By 2051, they hope to create an additional 300,000 new homes in these centres. Some areas could have buildings as high as 20 storeys, while others could have smaller heights of three. Remember, these are drafts, and are open to community feedback. Feedback is available from now until 11:59pm on Sunday March 22.
Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres
Based on feedback, the government hopes to find the best places for new housing around the tram and train zones, work out what type of home is suitable for the area, and set clear rules like height limits. Activity centres will feature a ‘Core’ area, which is the closest spot to public transport, jobs, shops and services. The ‘Catchments’ are the surrounding area, roughly 10 minutes walk away from public transport.
Places in Core areas could have heights ranging from six to 20 storeys, as long as it is in line with the council’s planning work. Elsternwick, for example, already has proposed heights that were set out in the council’s structure plan.
Meanwhile, Catchment areas would have more low-rise apartments and townhouses. Places that are a five-minute walk away from the station would have a limit of four storeys, or six on a larger block that’s over 1,000 square metres. Meanwhile, areas ten minutes away from the station would have limits of three storeys, or four storeys on a larger block that’s over 1,000 square metres.
Here are the zones that are open for consultation:
Alamein line
- Ashburton Station
- Riversdale Station
- Willison Station
Belgrave/Lilydale line
- Blackburn Station
- Mitcham Station
- Nunawading Station
Cranbourne/Pakenham line
- Dandenong Station
- Noble Park Station
- Springvale Station
- Yarraman Station
Frankston line
- Armadale Station
- Bentleigh Station
- Caulfield Station
- Glen Huntly Station
- Hawksburn Station
- Malvern Station
- Mentone Station
- Ormond Station
- Toorak Station
Sandringham line
- Elsternwick Station
- Prahran Station
- South Yarra Station
- Windsor Station
Toorak Village, which is on the Route 58 tram line, is also up for review.
To see the drafts, and to provide feedback, click here. You can also check out the frequently asked questions for clarity.