The Government is targeting 300,000 new homes within these Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres by 2051 – that’s over 11,000 additional homes per year. The proposed changes to the planning controls are intended to streamline the approval process for property owners and developers to deliver the new housing.
Proposed Planning Controls
As per the first 10 Activity Centres, the planning controls will include the introduction of a Built-Form Overlay (BFO) over the ‘core’ areas and up-zoning surrounding residential land into the Housing Choice and Transport Zone (HCTZ).
Developments within the BFO will benefit from a ‘deemed to comply’ fast-tracked pathway where third-party review is exempt for compliant proposals – this includes meeting specified building heights, setbacks, overshadowing to the public realm and, in some cases, floor area ratios.
Developments that seek a variation to these controls will not be eligible for the fast-tracked pathway.
For residential areas within the HCTZ, inner catchments (representing a 5-minute walk to the station / tram stop) can achieve heights of 4-storeys and up to 6-storeys for larger blocks more than 1,000 sqm in area.
In the outer catchment (representing a 10-minute walk from the station/tram stop) can achieve heights of 3-storeys and up to 4-storeys for larger blocks more than 1,000 sqm in area.
Initial Thoughts on the Draft Plans
Considering the 25 Draft Plans that have just been released, some core areas are expecting building heights between 6 and 16 stories.
In some activity centres, the catchment areas (HCTZ), which anticipate up to 6 storeys in height, are proposed over existing Neighbourhood Residential and General Residential zoned land, which is currently limited to 2 to 3 storeys in height. They are also proposed to be located on a number of sites currently covered by a Heritage Overlay.
From our preliminary review of the 25 Draft Plans, and in our experience in managing and obtaining approvals within the existing 10 Activity Centres, a few initial questions come to mind:
So, what’s next?
Phase 2 consultation will take place from Wednesday 10 September through to 11:59pm Sunday 19 October 2025.
We can prepare and lodge submissions on your behalf, drawing on our experience assisting many clients through the Activity Centres Program.
If you currently own property within these areas or want to understand the opportunities the proposed planning controls will bring, contact our office, Sam or Angela.
The full list of the 25 Activity Centres that are currently on public consultation is listed below:
Bayside
Inner South-East
Inner East
Inner North-East
Inner North
Inner West