What does the Activity Centres Program involve?

The Activity Centre Program is about unlocking opportunities for more homes in areas that are  close to train stations and tram lines and well-connected to jobs and services . It’s about working with the community to set clear expectations around what their community could look like over the next 10, 20 and 30 years. We want to make sure that more Victorians can share in the opportunity to live in these thriving, connected communities.  And by planning for more homes, we can also make sure that we are planning for the things that growing communities need – like community services and infrastructure, and schools and kinders, as well the things that people love about their neighbourhoods – like parks, open spaces and trees.  

The program has developed a range of tools to help achieve this vision. These include:  

• Activity Centre Plans that set out the objectives for each centre and guide investment to support the needs of a growing community. A simplified approach to built form and design controls specific to each activity centre core area to minimise planning permit requirements and speed-up  good planning decisions.. 
• A gentle and appropriate approach for more homes within the surrounding area (residential areas within approximately 800 metres from the centre), encouraging a greater diversity of housing, close to transport and services, and vibrant, active neighbourhoods.  ,  
• Delivering more affordable housing by utilising strategic sites including government landholdings. 
• A streamlined planning scheme amendment pathway to enable new controls to be implemented more quickly.