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.
Provide feedback on Stage 2 Activity Centres
The engagement on phase 2 of the Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres program (TTZAC) is open until 22 March 2026. The State Government is seeking feedback on draft plans for Stage 2 centres.
To view plans and provide feedback, visit these pages on the State Government’s Engage Victoria website.
The City of Stonnington has prepared a formal submission to the State Government responding to their proposal. This was endorsed by Council on 16 March 2026. You can read the combined submission(PDF, 22MB) now.
Council continues to advocate for our community in relation to the Train and Tram Zone Activity Centre Program. We are seeking outcomes that respond to our unique context, character and community aspirations.
The State Government will report back after engagement and implement plans subject to approval by the Minister for Planning in mid-2026.
Activity Centres
There are eight activity centres within Stonnington affected by Stage 2:
- South Yarra Station
- Prahran Station
- Windsor Station
- Hawksburn Station
- Toorak Station
- Armadale Station
- Malvern Station
- Toorak Village
Properties in Stonnington (Malvern East) are also affected by the proposed catchment area for the Caulfield activity centre.
Caulfield Station is a Stage 2 Centre outside Stonnington, that impact properties within Stonnington.
We have also produced indicative maps comparing proposed State Government heights with existing allowable heights in the activity centre cores. You can view the comparison maps online(PDF, 10MB).
Stage 1 Activity Centres
The State Government has released draft plans for Stage 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.
Find general information on the Activity Centre Program page on the Engage Victoria website.
Stage 1 Activity Centres are:
- Tooronga Station
- Glen Iris Station
- Gardiner Station
- Darling Station
- East Malvern Station
- Holmesglen Station
Stage 1 Centres outside of Stonnington that impact properties within Stonnington:
- Carnegie Station (Glen Eira)
- Murrumbeena Station (Glen Eira)
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 to 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.
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 much-loved streetscapes and highly valued heritage and neighbourhood character. We must also consider how growth affects infrastructure needs and climate readiness, including canopy cover and greening.
City of Stonnington has a comprehensive existing system of planning controls. These controls were developed with extensive community and expert input and respond to local needs while facilitating growth.
We have progressed projects to improve planning in the municipality, including the Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Activity Centres Framework, which Council formally adopted on Monday 8 September 2025.
These strategies demonstrate how we can meet future housing needs. They identify potential to accommodate 67,000 additional dwellings, exceeding State Government targets for 50,000 dwellings by 2050. This evidence-based approach responds to local context, including heritage and neighbourhood character. We conducted substantial community engagement to inform our work.
We continue to advocate to the State Government in line with these strategies. Planning needs to consider more than just the heights of new buildings. We need to encourage well-designed, sustainable development while enhancing characteristics that make our neighbourhoods great places to live, work and visit.