A new Built Form Overlay (BFO) has been developed to standardise planning controls in activity centre ‘cores’, which is the central part of each activity centre closest to public transport, jobs and services. The overlay determines building heights and design rules and introduces a new streamlined planning pathway to allow more homes to be built faster.
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New planning rules to support housing growth
The plans identify the best locations for more homes within each activity centre, and the most appropriate types of homes for each place. Along with associated planning scheme amendments, the plans propose new rules for building heights, setbacks, and other planning controls to allow more homes to be built there.
The right types of homes in the right places
The plans for each activity centre include a ‘core’ and a ‘catchment’.
| Activity centre core | Inner catchment | Outer catchment |
|---|---|---|
| Various heights between three and 12 storeys in most activity centres and up to 20 storeys in the largest activity centres | Up to six storeys on blocks larger than 1000m2 and up to four storeys in all other places | Up to four storeys on blocks larger than 1000m2 and up to three storeys in all other places |
The core is the central part of the activity centre, closest to public transport, jobs and services. This area is best suited to accommodate more homes. The plans allow for various building heights between three and 12 storeys in most activity centres, and up to 20 storeys on some of the largest sites in the largest activity centres.
The catchment is the surrounding area within approximately 10 minutes’ walk of the activity centre core. The plans allow for townhouses and smaller apartment buildings here, up to six storeys closest to the activity centre core, and up to four storeys elsewhere. Only large blocks of 1,000sqm or more (or about three per cent of properties) will be allowed to build up to the maximum building heights.
As you move away from the commercial and community core of the activity centre, the proposed building heights gradually decrease, creating a transition between the activity centre and the surrounding suburb.
New planning tools for activity centres
We have created two new planning tools to allow the delivery of more homes in activity centres.
For locations in the Activity Centres Program, where the Victorian Government is leading the planning, we intend to use these new tools to give effect to our plans.
These planning tools are also available for councils and other planning authorities to use. The creation of these new planning tools will make it easier for councils and planning authorities to encourage more homes to be built close to public transport, jobs and services in their own municipalities, helping all levels of government to play their part in delivering more homes for Victorians.
The new Housing Choice and Transport Zone (HCTZ) has been developed to enable a diversity of housing in the catchments, and other well-serviced locations with convenient access to jobs, public transport and services. The HCTZ does not introduce any changes to planning approval pathways, and only applies to existing residentially zoned land.
Streamlined new planning pathway for activity centre cores
A new streamlined process for planning applications will make it faster and easier to build more quality homes in activity centre cores. This includes removing notice and review requirements for most planning applications in those places.
The new Built Form Overlay introduces new ‘deemed to comply’ standards for building heights, street wall heights and setbacks. These standards are based on extensive urban design and technical analysis, to create high quality streetscapes, and prevent negative impacts like overshadowing and wind. If a planning application meets the ‘deemed to comply’ standards, it cannot be refused a permit on the basis of those standards.
If someone proposes a building that does not meet those standards, the usual decision-making process and criteria apply.
How your feedback is shaping our plans
We consulted extensively on the initial activity centres and received more than 10,000 responses from local communities, councils and industry across two stages of consultation.
In August 2024 we released draft plans for community feedback. Since then, we have been updating the plans and the new planning tools in response to your feedback.
How this program will address feedback
We heard you want to see more homes, and different kinds of homes, close to public transport options and local infrastructure.
We heard that upgrading local infrastructure is important to support more homes, so we’re introducing a new funding mechanism to raise funds for new and upgraded local infrastructure.
We heard about the importance of preserving and protecting open space while we plan for more homes, so we’re proposing strong protections to limit overshadowing of parks, and new requirements to support tree planting on larger sites. The new infrastructure funding mechanism will also provide more funding for upgrading parks and open spaces.
We heard that Victorians want to see more homes in places that are well-serviced by public transport, so proposed planning controls for activity centres consider existing heritage controlsthe expansion of the Activity Centres Program focuses on creating capacity for more homes in places with the best access to trains and trams.
We heard about the importance of heritage in some activity centres, so the proposed planning controls for activity centres consider existing heritage controls, there will be no changes to heritage overlays or amendments to local or state planning policies relating to heritage as part of the Activity Centres Program.
Activity Centres Standing Advisory Committee
After our community consultation on the draft activity centre plans in August, the Minister for Planning referred the key matters raised to the Activity Centres Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) for consideration. The SAC is an independent committee of experts in matters including planning, building, development, law and heritage.
The SAC made recommendations to the Minister for Planning which are informing the finalisation of the first 10 activity centre plans, and the new planning controls.
The SAC’s reports will be made available when plans are gazetted.
Maintaining heritage in activity centres
We heard from local communities that maintaining the heritage of each activity centre is important for preserving what makes these centres great places to live. We want to maintain the heritage of these areas while still providing more homes for more Victorians.
Our proposed planning controls for activity centres consider existing heritage controls.
There will be no changes to heritage overlays or amendments to local or state planning policies relating to heritage as part of the Activity Centres Program.
New buildings will still have to follow existing heritage controls, as well as relevant state and local policy.
How we develop our plans
The Activity Centres Program uses a process for developing replicable baseline planning controls, which are then customised to each centre.
Each activity centre core is divided into sub-precincts, or ‘precinct typologies’, based on the level of development they can accommodate and the types of buildings, homes and businesses already there. Baseline planning controls are then applied to each precinct typology, based on the size of the activity centre. Once we have baseline planning controls, we then test them and adjust them in consultation with councils, community and stakeholders to make them appropriate and specific to each individual centre.
You can find out more about this process in City of Centres: Development of Typology-based Built Form Controls (May 2024) (PDF, 10.4 MB).
Page last updated: 23/02/25