Hughesdale

Reference

current

Published: March 2026

Last updated: 08 March 2026

The vision for Hughesdale

The following vision for Hughesdale train and tram zone activity centre is built from the Statement of Advice prepared by a Community Reference Group (CRG) made up of local residents.

Hughesdale will become a more vibrant and inviting local hub with higher density living and greater pedestrian activity. Poath Road will look and feel more consistent and welcoming, with new homes and places to stop, sit and meet.

Strong public transport links and safer streets will help people get around more easily and feel more connected to their neighbourhood.

There needs to be a reasonable balance between increased density, higher scale and respecting heritage values and neighbourhood character.

Hughesdale community member

What we understand about place and how we’ve addressed it

Hughesdale is recognised by its residents for its functionality, walkability and welcoming atmosphere that blends historic and modern built form, with a strong connection to nearby green spaces.

This is why we have planned for a mix of typologies and building heights that reflect Hughesdale’s charm and support its evolving identity.

The CRG shared that overshadowing to parks should be avoided, as parks are vital assets to the community where amenity should be protected.

In Boyd Park, there are River Red Gums, Swamp Gums and other indigenous tree species remnant of a River Red Gum Woodland Community, which are protected by a Vegetation Protection Overlay. That is why we have applied the highest level of sun access protection to Boyd Park and Galbally Reserve and introduced landscape setbacks to specific properties along William Street.

CRG members told us that high‑density living is acceptable where development achieves good building design and human‑scale streetscapes.

The future development of larger sites will be guided by relevant Built Form Overlay provisions, which also encourage high‑quality design outcomes, including adequate landscape setbacks and pedestrian links to minimise amenity impacts on adjoining properties and surrounds.

We heard from the community that housing growth is generally supported in Hughesdale, provided that walkability and access to open spaces are maintained, and that future developments demonstrate high quality design.

Carnegie to Oakleigh core and catchment map

A graphical representation of the scale of density within activity centre areas. — Scale of density from core to the outer catchment

Core	Inner catchment	Outer catchment
Various heights between six and 16 storeys in most centres, with potential for taller heights in some places in the larger centres	Up to four storeys, and up to six storeys on blocks larger than 1000m2	Up to three storeys, and up to four storeys on blocks larger than 1000m2

Hughesdale core and catchment explained

The core is the central part of the train and tram zone activity centre, closest to public transport, jobs and services. This area is best suited to accommodate more homes.

The catchment is the surrounding area within approximately 10 minutes’ walk of the core (around 800 metres).

As you move away from the commercial and community core of the train and tram zone activity centre, we expect that the building heights will gradually decrease. This will allow a transition between the activity centre and the surrounding suburb.

In Hughesdale, the inner catchment responds to Murrumbeena Park and the community facilities off Poath Road. The outer catchment responds to the bus routes and services on Kangaroo Road.

What we are doing for your community

As part of our work, we've:

applied landscape setback along ArthurStreet to extend the green character of the openspace and keep the street inviting
applied the highest sun access protection around Boyd Park and Galbally Reserve because the community values these spaces.

Refer to the following plans:

Plan 5: Hughesdale typology, activation and setbacks
Plan 6: Hughesdale building heights and sun protection

Plans

The built form outcomes and building heights for the activity centre core are set out on the following plans:

Plan 5 (above): Hughesdale typology, activation and setbacks (Note: Typology refers to a building type that is suitable for a particular set of lot types and locations. Street activation requires new buildings to provide open and inviting shopfronts to encourage lively and safe streets. A setback is the minimum distance a building must be placed away from a property boundary, road, or natural feature.)

Plan 6 (above): Hughesdale building heights and sun protection

The plans aim to make sure the right types of homes are built in the places they fit best. These are some of the kinds of homes you might see more of in the future.