Activity Centre updates: Kew and Hawthorn

Updated April 2026

The Victorian Government’s expanded Activity Centres Program includes 50 centres across Melbourne to fit in 300,000 more homes around train stations and tram stops on ‘well-serviced’ lines. 

On 31 March 2026, the Victorian Government introduced new planning controls for the Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction activity centres and their surrounding residential areas (via Amendment GC270).

The new planning controls include:

1. Built Form Overlay (BFO) introducing built form and height controls for the commercial core of the centres.  This includes a streamlined deemed-to-comply planning application process that removes third-party notice and review rights if specific standards are met.  Otherwise, the standard planning processes will apply.
2. Housing Choice and Transport Zone (HCTZ) applying to the residential catchment around the centres.  This new zone allows for the following building heights:
    

Amendment GC270 also:

• Rezones some land within the core of the Hawthorn and Kew Junction activity centres from General Residential Zone (GRZ) to Commercial 1 Zone (C1Z).
• Deletes the following Design and Development Overlays (DDO) in their entirety: DDO7, DDO12, DDO14 and DDO19 and removes DDO15, DDO16 and DDO17 from the Glenferrie and Auburn activity centre cores.
• Makes changes to local policies in the Boroondara Planning Scheme.
• Includes the Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn Train and Tram Activity Centres Plan and Kew Junction Train and Tram Activity Centre Plan as background documents in the Boroondara Planning Scheme. 

For more information about the new planning controls and  Amendment GC270, visit the Department of Transport and Planning website: Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction

Council officers are reviewing the information provided by DTP and will provide updates on the Boroondara website in due course.

Council provided submissions to the Victorian Government as part of the consultation phases for Tranche 1 of the expanded Activity Centres Program:  

For draft maps of building heights and residential catchments, visit the Victorian Government’s Engage website.

Council has prepared its own analysis of these activity centres using a place-based approach. The point-in-time analysis was presented to the Urban Planning Delegated Committee at its meeting on 18 December 2025. A copy of Council’s analysis was also provided to the Department of Transport and Planning in support of its submission. 

More information

Find more information on Council’s response to the Victorian Government’s reforms:

• Mayor expresses concern on new Activity Centres (28 February 2025)