Activity centres

Activity centres are vibrant community hubs where people shop, work, meet, relax and often live. They range in size, from local neighbourhood shopping strips to centres that include universities and major regional shopping malls.

Metropolitan Melbourne has a network of activity centres. This network is defined within Plan Melbourne and is classified into 3 main types:

• Metropolitan activity centres
• Major activity centres
• Neighbourhood activity centres.

The role that activity centres play in suburbs across Melbourne is recognised in Plan Melbourne. Activity centres need to provide a broad range of goods and services, diversifying their offerings, focusing on mixed-use development including retail, commercial and residential, and ensuring they are well connected. This will support local economies and the development of 20-minute neighbourhoods.

Activity centres promote sustainable, vibrant communities and will be a focus of change over the next 30 years. Government policy seeks to increase the concentration of activities within the network of activity centres, both existing and planned.

Development of this network of activity centres is critical to metropolitan Melbourne's future economic performance. The intent is to substantially reinforce the network by connecting Metropolitan and Major Activity Centres into an expanded public transport network, and encourage more mixed-use development in appropriately located centres.

Increase housing choice in activity centres

The Government has announced the addition of more homes in activity centres.

We are introducing clear planning controls to deliver more homes close to services, jobs and transport around an initial 10 activity centres across Melbourne, at Broadmeadows, Camberwell Junction, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie (Keilor Road), North Essendon, Preston (High Street) and Ringwood.

Activity centre plans will guide investment in the things a growing suburb needs like community facilities, public spaces and parks.

The program will also consider the best way to incentivise more affordable housing.

Metropolitan activity centres

These are higher-order centres intended to provide a diverse range of jobs, activities and housing for regional catchments that are well served by public transport. These centres will play a major service delivery role, including government, health, justice and education services, as well as retail and commercial opportunities.

• Box Hill
• Broadmeadows
• Dandenong
• Epping
• Footscray
• Fountain Gate-Narre Warren
• Frankston
• Lockerbie (future)
• Ringwood
• Toolern (future)
• Sunshine.

Neighbourhood activity centres

These are local centres that provide access to local goods, services and employment opportunities and serve the needs of the surrounding community. These centres serve smaller, local areas and have an important role in giving people the ability to meet most of their everyday needs within a 20-minute walk, cycle or local public transport trip of their home – an important factor in creating healthier communities, lowering greenhouse emissions and delivering 20-minute neighbourhoods.

Further information about Neighbourhood Activity Centres is available from the responsible local council.

More information about 20-minute neighbourhoods.

Page last updated: 26/09/23