Melbourne’s inner-north set for 20 storey towers in high-rise push

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 new plans come as the opposition steps up its campaign against the high-density precincts, with shadow attorney-general and Brighton MP James Newbury vowing the Coalition would “rip up” the high-rise plans if elected.

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 planning spokesman David Southwick labelled the community consultation that led to the final maps a “sham”, claiming many of the suburbs didn’t have the infrastructure to support an influx of residents.

“Why wouldn’t you listen to Victorians? This government is taking the basic right of Victorians to be able to have a say on what’s been built in their neighbourhood and silencing them,” he said.

Newbury guaranteed the Coalition would “rip up” the activity centres if they win the November election.

“We have a premier who lives 250 km away from Melbourne, drives into Melbourne in the taxpayer-funded car and tells Melburnians how she wants to wreck their community,” he said.

“Thousands of people have protested in my community and what the government has said is we’re going to stick the middle finger up at you because we don’t like your suburb.”

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.

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.

She hit back at the Coalition’s claims inner and middle ring suburbs didn’t have the infrastructure to support more residents, saying areas such as Hawthorn and Kew had declining school enrolments.

“What we would see under the Liberals’ plan is childless suburbs, suburbs where families cannot afford to live,” Kilkenny 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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