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More homes across Melbourne
Right across Victoria, not enough people have the chance to afford a home close to the people and places they love. We need to act now to make sure we build a future where every Victorian can choose a home that's right for them.
We’re seeking to change planning rules in and around 60 train and tram zone activity centres, encouraging more than 300,000 new homes to be built around Melbourne’s train and tram lines, jobs and services by 2051.
Plans for 10 activity centres that were part of a pilot program are now in place. Throughout 2025 and 2026, we’re expanding the program to include 50 more locations across Melbourne.
The program is one of the key initiatives of Plan for Victoria, which set housing targets for every municipality across Victoria, including those for the local government areas (LGAs) where the 60 activity centres in the program are located.
What is an activity centre?
Activity centres are vibrant places where people shop, work, access public transport, connect with family and friends, as well as live.
There are many activity centres across Melbourne. They range from small centres around suburban train stations, to clusters of shops and services along high streets, to major centres with universities, hospitals and shopping centres.
They are great locations for more homes, but they are so much more. Activity centres can be places to work and interact socially, to enjoy parks and open space, and ideal places to shop and access your essential daily needs.
What is the Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program?
Train and tram zone activity centre planning is about creating more opportunities for diverse types of housing by setting clear expectations for long-term growth, giving the community a say early, and streamlining planning.
We’re developing plans for centre, which will include guidance on where new homes can go and what kinds of homes are most suitable for each area, as well as setting clear planning rules in these areas to allow more homes to be built for Victorians.
How we identify train and tram zone activity centres
We’ve identified the centres in this program based on an analysis of transport capacity, market viability, access to jobs and services, and environmental considerations.
The plans for 10 pilot activity centres were finalised earlier in 2025.
Throughout 2025 and 2026, we'll develop plans for an additional 50 centres. The plan to add 50 more centres close to train stations and tram lines follows community feedback on the pilot activity centres, where Victorians emphasised the importance of transport connections.
See the map below for proposed train and tram zone activity centre locations:
How the program links with other initiatives
The Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program is one of the key initiatives of Plan for Victoria.
Plan for Victoria is our 30-year strategic land use plan for creating more homes in places close to transport, jobs, schools, shops, parks and all the things that make a suburb, town or region vibrant, liveable and sustainable.
It sets clear housing targets for every Victorian municipality, showing how many homes need to be built and where they should go with the aim of 2.24 million new homes across the state by 2051. The program will also support councils to meet their targets while keeping local communities vibrant, connected and liveable.
The Department of Transport and Planning is also supporting more homes in well located areas through a range of other initiatives including:
- updating our planning system to allow faster approvals for well-designed homes. This includes reforms such as the updated Townhouse and Low-Rise Code and the 4 Storey Apartment Standards
- developing standards for residential buildings of four to six storeys in locations where such developments are allowed. Draft standards are currently being consulted on with targeted stakeholders, including all Victorian local governments and peak planning, design and development bodies
- streamlining planning approvals for significant residential developments that include affordable housing through Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program
- providing ready-made architectural designs through the Future Homes Program, which can be purchased by developers and get access to a streamlined planning process
- developing and attracting investment to precincts to capitalise on the benefits of major infrastructure investments such as the Metro Tunnel and Suburban Rail Loop
- delivering on the 10-year plan for Melbourne’s greenfields, providing a framework for industry to deliver 180,000 homes in Melbourne’s new suburbs
- building more and higher quality public and community housing through Victoria’s Big Housing Build
- unlocking government land for the delivery of much-needed housing in prime locations across Victoria through the Small Sites Program
- supporting a strong building system that industry and consumers can trust through a suite of building reforms
- reviewing and rewriting the Planning and Environment Act (1987).
Page last updated: 24/09/25