High-rise buildings in parts of Melbourne’s inner-north will be able to reach up to 20 storeys under a finalised state government plan to increase housing density near transport hubs.
Released on Wednesday, the final maps for 25 of the state’s “activity centres” will lock in new building heights and development boundaries for suburbs including Coburg and Brunswick in Melbourne’s north, and Middle Brighton in the city’s south-east.
The finalised maps for Oakleigh, Middle Brighton and Kew Junction have tweaked some boundaries, but maximum height limits remain between 12 and 16 storeys. In parts of Brunswick and Coburg’s activity centres, the previously proposed height of 16 storeys will increase to 20 storeys.
The remaining 20 maps – which include middle ring suburbs like Carnegie; inner east suburbs of Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Kew; and the bayside suburb of Hampton – will also be released on Wednesday following a period of community consultation on draft plans released in September last year.
The planning controls for 35 of 60 targeted precincts are now finalised, and are expected to take effect within months.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the proposed changes would cut delays and provide clear planning rules.
“For years, some of Melbourne’s best-connected suburbs have been locked up, and it’s pushing young people and families out. We’re changing that,” she said.
The activity centres program is a cornerstone of the Allan government’s housing policy and rezones land for high-density living around 60 established transport and commercial hubs across inner and middle-ring suburbs.
Core areas of activity centres closest to shops and stations have height limits up to 20 storeys, and as high as 50 in proposed Suburban Rail Loop hubs like Box Hill, while districts a few streets back are generally limited to three to four storeys.
Buildings that meet the government’s planning rules in the activity centres will be “deemed to comply” – meaning they cannot be sent to VCAT and council will have to approve them.
The government said it received feedback from more than 12,500 Victorians, which directly shaped the final plans – including changes to height limits and greener streetscapes.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has previously vowed to tear up the state-mandated activity centres if the Coalition wins office in November, instead promising to hand back powers to local councils.
“Our plan will deliver the housing Victoria needs through greater density, where it is council land and supported by local communities,” she said last month.
“We will work with councils to deliver these plans in a timely manner, so local communities have a voice in the future of our state.”
The government’s activity centres have provoked a backlash in some suburbs where locals have held rallies opposing the state’s plans – including ones in Brighton led by local Liberal MP James Newbury.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny claims the Liberals’ plan to ditch activity centres would see fewer homes being built in Melbourne.
“We want more Victorians to live in places that have great trains, trams, schools and jobs nearby – that’s why we’re making it easier to get more homes built,” she said.
The state government says the train and tram zones will help unlock capacity for more than 300,000 homes in these areas by 2051. However, a recent report from the Grattan Institute shows only about 110,000 are financially feasible under current conditions.
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Daniella White is a state political reporter for The Age. Contact her at da.white@nine.com.auConnect via X or email.