The State Government has proposed new planning controls aimed at delivering housing growth in and around 60 Activity Centres close to train and tram lines. This follows State Government planning reforms announced within Plan for Victoria.
Of the 60 identified Activity Centres, 15 are within the City of Stonnington.
Pilot Program Activity Centres
Tranche 1 Activity Centres
- Tooronga Station
- Glen Iris Station
- Gardiner Station
- Darling Station
- East Malvern Station
- Holmesglen Station
Tranche 2 Activity Centres
- Toorak Village
- Hawksburn Station
- Toorak Station
- Armadale Station
- Malvern Station
- South Yarra Station
- Prahran Station
- Windsor Station
Tranche 1 Centres outside of Stonnington that impact properties within Stonnington
- Carnegie Station (Glen Eira)
- Murrumbeena Station (Glen Eira)
Tranche 2 Centres outside of Stonnington that impact properties within Stonnington
- Caulfield Station (Glen Eira)
Tranche 1 Activity Centres
The State Government has released draft plans for Tranche 1 centres. Feedback closed on 19 October 2025.
To view relevant material, including proposed catchment areas and heights visit the Tooronga to Holmesglen page on the Engage Victoria website.
Stonnington does not support the draft plans for Tranche 1 centres, and lodged a submission to the State Government during consultation. The submission was endorsed by Council. Download the submission(PDF, 18MB).
The State Government has stated they will report back following engagement and implement plans subject to approval by the Minister for Planning in early 2025.
Find general information on the Activity Centre Program page on the Engage Victoria website.
Tranche 2 Activity Centres
The State Government is currently planning for the remaining Activity Centres identified in Tranche 2. Centres that include land within Stonnington are:
- South Yarra Station
- Prahran Station
- Windsor Station
- Hawksburn Station
- Toorak Station
- Toorak Village (tram)
- Caulfield Station (although the centre falls within the City of Glen Eira, the surrounding catchment area includes land within the City of Stonnington)
The State Government is currently seeking feedback on Phase 1: Understanding Place and will close 30 November 2025. You can fill out a survey, and/or express interest in joining a Community Reference Group (CRG) that meets with the State Government to provide feedback.
To view relevant material, including the proposed investigation areas, visit these pages on the State Government’s Engage Victoria website.
The State Government anticipates releasing draft plans for phase 2 consultation in early 2026.
Council continues to advocate for our community in relation to the State Government’s Activity Centre Program. We are pushing for outcomes that respond to our unique context, character and community aspirations.
Stonnington’s plan for managing growth
We acknowledge the need for additional and diverse housing. Our population is growing and changing. It is important to guide this growth to protect and enhance our leafy character, high amenity, and heritage streetscapes. We must also explore how growth affects infrastructure needs.
We have progressed key projects, including the Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Activity Centres Framework, which Council formally adopted on Monday 8 September.
These strategies demonstrate how we can meet future housing needs. They identify potential to accommodate 67,000 additional dwellings, exceeding State Government targets. The evidence-based approach responds to local context, including heritage and neighbourhood character. We conducted substantial community engagement to inform our work.
Plan for Victoria includes a target for Stonnington to accommodate an additional 50,000 dwellings to 2050.
We continue to advocate to the State Government in line with these strategies. This enables us to plan ahead for our current and future communities. We will accommodate well-designed, sustainable development while enhancing characteristics that make our neighbourhoods great places to live, work and visit.
Pilot program
The planning controls for Chadstone developed by the State Government were gazetted in April 2025 into the Stonnington Planning Scheme. They provide for development of:
- six storeys in a ‘core’ area close to Chadstone shopping centre
- three-six storeys within the 800m ‘walkable catchment’ of Chadstone Shopping Centre.
Updated controls were introduced into the Stonnington Planning Scheme on 10 April 2025 through Planning Scheme Amendment GC252. On 16 September 2024, Council endorsed a submission(PDF, 550KB) to the State Government Chadstone Activity Centre Plan outlining our position and concerns in relation to the pilot.