A thriving Chapel Street precinct

Stonnington is advocating for measures that will help support Stonnington and Chapel Street as destinations of choice.

Our vision

Stonnington Tomorrow is our Council Plan for 2025 to 2029. It outlines our vision of ensuring Stonnington is a destination of choice. This includes enhancing the Chapel Street precinct as a safe, welcoming and iconic retail and entertainment hub.

Chapel Street is one of Melbourne's oldest and most diverse precincts. Its retail, dining, and entertainment options make it popular with locals and visitors.

We continue the legacy of the precinct with these programs and initiatives:

Chapel Street Precinct Improvement Program
Chapel Street Transformation Project
targeted safety and amenity improvements
investment in activations
Chapel Street cultural program.

Read our Thriving Chapel Street fact sheet(PDF, 353KB).

The need for partnership

Council is responsible for many Chapel Street assets. These include Prahran Town Hall, Prahran Market, Prahran Square, Chapel off Chapel, and the street itself (between Toorak Road and Upton Road Bridge).

We also recognise that other stakeholders, such as the Department of Transport and Planning, Yarra Trams, Victoria Police, and community outreach partners, help manage the street.

We need funding from other levels of government to tackle the financial challenges of managing significant buildings, assets and services.

Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy

This advocacy priority aligns with the following recommendations in Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy 2025-2055:

Recommendation 6 – Make government infrastructure more accessible
Recommendation 8 – Extend Melbourne's trams to encourage more new homes nearby
Recommendation 18 – Invest in maintenance, upgrades and expansions of community health facilities
Recommendation 19 - Build more residential alcohol and other drug treatment facilities

Policy asks

Action on illicit tobacco

We call for the following action on illicit tobacco:

Increase inspector numbers to improve monitoring and enforcement of the tobacco licensing scheme.
Expand the tobacco licensing scheme to include e-cigarettes, other tobacco and vaping products to help combat illegal sales.
Introduce laws allowing Tobacco Licensing Victoria to shut down stores caught selling illegal tobacco products.

More staff for Prahran police station

An increased police presence in Chapel Street will improve perceived and actual safety. Joint patrols between police, Liquor Control Victoria and Council officers have proved successful in managing behaviour and compliance, particularly during the day.

Funding for community outreach programs

A proactive, evidence-based approach to community outreach leads to lower crime and stronger perceptions of safety.

Funding for these programs will support our most vulnerable communities and amplify Council outreach:

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence
Advance to Zero homelessness by-name list
Salvation Army Street Team
Launch Housing
UnitingCare
Hartley’s Café
Stonnington Community Assist
Better Health Network.

Strengthened mental health services for vulnerable populations with complex needs will improve safety and support long-term health outcomes.

Extend the Number 78 tram

We ask that the Number 78 tram route be extended along Victoria Street to North Richmond Station, from the existing Church Street / Victoria Street terminus.

Public intoxication decriminalisation inquiry

We call for an inquiry into the effectiveness of decriminalising public intoxication on public safety and amenity.

Partnership with Council on planning

We ask for a planning partnership for public housing precincts in South Yarra and Prahran. This includes the remainder of the Horace Petty Estate, extending to the towers south of Princes Gardens.

We need a coordinated approach across government to secure the best housing and amenity outcomes for the precinct and support residents.

Key projects

Council has a number of projects ready for delivery if we secure funding from external partners.

Project	Funding	About the project
CCTV expansion	$20,000 per camera $140,000 per trailer	Installing new CCTV cameras and trailers to expand on previous Council investment to upgrade CCTV in Stonnington.
Chapel Street Masterplan	$600,000	Contribution to master-planning the future of Chapel St, a critical multicultural, transport, entertainment and business precinct.
Greville Street reconstruction	Up to $1 million	Reconstruction of the eastern end of Greville Street to the corner of Chapel Street, including footpath extension and treatment. This will enhance the streetscape and amenity of the heritage area.
Lighting upgrades	$500,000	Install public lighting to increase safety. This upgrade is based on our recent lighting audit of the Chapel Street precinct.
Mount Street and Forest Hill masterplans	Up to $10 million	Deliver on masterplan outcomes, including interconnecting green spaces, pocket parks and attractive, people-friendly streets. We need funding of varying quantums for: pedestrian crossings and streetworks at Claremont Street, South Yarra upgrades at Yarra Street, South Yarra power undergrounding, streetscaping, and open space in the Mount Street, Prahran precinct. These areas have high-density development and population growth. Open space and streetscape improvements are vital to serve current and future communities.
Outreach services	$200,000 per year	Funding to Salvation Army for assistive daytime outreach services and outreach to vulnerable community members in the Chapel St precinct. This follows a successful trial by Council in 2025 and 2026 to: engage with and support vulnerable individuals provide a visible presence and coordinated response to enhance safety perceptions in Chapel Street.
Prahran Market Lizzy Lane redevelopment	$9.5 million	Redevelop the Elizabeth St market façade and updating internal tenancies and the roof. This will modernise the market and make it safer for visitors.
Prahran Market Masterplan	$10 million	Modernise Prahran Market as a leading community food and tourism destination. This includes redesigning the market square roof and uplifting trader facilities.
Prahran Town Hall	$200,000	Roofing works to protect and restore the historic Town Hall, a key anchor point for the precinct.
Safety lighting for Lovers’ Walk	$250,000	Install safety lighting on the pedestrian link from Chapel Street to South Yarra Station. This will support public safety and inclusion and increase public transport use.
Solar panels for Prahran Town Hall and Prahran Market	Town Hall: $150,000 Market: $200,000	Install solar panels to deliver on our Climate Emergency Action Plan and roadmap to zero corporate emissions.

More information

For more information, please visit our Advocacy page.