Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village

More homes and more opportunities.

Planning for thriving communities

Located along or near the Frankston train line Hawksburn, Toorak, Armadale and Malvern stations and Toorak Village (route 58 tram) are in prime locations that blend natural beauty with a variety of activities and services.

This area of Melbourne is within easy reach of the CBD, known for its leading schools, high-end shops, gourmet restaurants, quality open spaces and easy transport connections.

Each centre sits within an already established suburban area, rich in amenity — parks, shops, schools, and healthcare services are all within easy reach. These qualities make the neighbourhoods convenient and highly liveable.

What we heard

Council and community feedback in the Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village areas focused on adjusting building heights to consider heritage constraints and development opportunities, while refining the catchment boundary based on heritage and street access considerations.

What we're proposing

  • Protecting local heritage by applying lower catchment heights to large heritage precincts such as the Grandview Grove/Woodfull Street and Victoria Gardens precincts.
  • Refining catchment boundaries to reflect the local area. For example, we propose removing residences on the edge of the catchment on Florence Street because of their limited street access.
  • Introducing landscape setbacks along streets such as Toorak Road to preserve the area’s leafy character.
  • Investing in local infrastructure to support growth for Hawksburn, Toorak, Armadale, Malvern and Toorak Village. This investment will fund infrastructure essential to livability for current and future communities in and around these centres.
  • Adjusting proposed core heights across Hawksburn, Toorak, Armadale, Malvern and Toorak Village. These adjustments will leverage each site’s strengths to deliver more housing and protect solar access on key streets, including High Street, Malvern Road, Beatty Avenue, Jackson Street, Station Street, Glenferrie Road and Toorak Road.

Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village train and tram zone activity centres factsheet

Learn more about the proposed building heights, core and catchment boundaries and potential opportunities to improve the Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village train and tram zone activity centres.

Download factsheet

Proposed height and boundary map

The map below shows the proposed core and catchment boundaries of the Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village train and tram zone activity centres. It also highlights key transport connections, open spaces and heritage overlays.

Map of Toorak catchment

How your feedback has helped shape our planning

We heard from the Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village communities through two rounds of consultation and a Community Reference Group (CRG) made up of local residents - your feedback has helped to shape our planning.

Find out more by clicking on the accordions below.

You can also view the Phase 1 consultation summary reports for these centres:

Download phase 1 consultation summary report for Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village

We'll publish the Phase 2 consultation summary report soon.

  • We heard from the community how much they value the fine grain character and heritage shopfronts that offer diverse retail and commercial uses. That’s why we’re proposing lower heights of six storeys around the Malvern and Williams roads intersection.
  • We also heard how important Malvern Road is as a high street for people to work and socialise in. This is why we’re proposing it to have a high-level of solar protection. This will help ensure that the buildings will not overshadow the street at key times of the day.

  • The community expressed their connection to the heritage buildings along Beatty Avenue and its importance for Toorak’s identity. That’s why we’re proposing lower building heights and greater setbacks for developments along Beatty Avenue.
  • We also heard how important Victory Square Reserve and the landscape civic corner on Beatty Avenue is to locals. We’re proposing planning rules that will continue to protect its access to sunlight, ensuring it remains a popular and bright gathering place.

  • High Street is a highly valued destination for locals and visitors, providing a key shopping and dining hub in Armadale. We’re proposing planning rules that will ensure this area remains a bright, vibrant, pedestrian-friendly area for the community to enjoy.
  • The community told us how much they value the heritage of the area. That’s why we’re proposing lower building heights along High Street, as well as increased setbacks above street wall heights (a street wall height is the vertical distance between the footpath and the top of a building’s front façade). This will preserve the heritage characteristics, so that the look and feel is retained for years to come.

  • The community expressed how strongly they value the small, village character along Station Street and Claremont Avenue. This is why we’re applying lower heights of six storeys to retain the area’s heritage feel.
  • We also heard from the community that they support taller building heights on larger sites, closer to the station. That’s why we’re proposing increased heights on the Malvern Central site, where people can benefit from direct access to transport and amenities.

  • We heard from the community how much they value Toorak Road for its vibrant mix of activities and well-connected tram corridor. That’s why we’re proposing a high level of solar protection, to ensure an adequate amount of sunlight access is maintained.
  • The community also emphasised support for increased heights on the large Trak Centre site. That’s why we’re proposing increased heights to encourage best outcomes for the community, including improved pedestrian connections to Jackson Street.

Infrastructure investment

The quality of the places we live in affects all aspects of our lives – how we live and work, connect with others and get around.

There has already been significant investment in the Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village areas. We know that there will be greater demand for services and infrastructure like public transport and open spaces as more people move in, with improvements needed to support the growing population.

Our proposed infrastructure contributions plans intend to require developers to pay a standardised contribution of $11,350 for each new home, or equivalent charge for an office or similar building they deliver, which will be used to invest in improvements to infrastructure and facilities for the local community.

Opportunities to improve Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village

The map below shows some of the opportunities to make this community an even better place to live, work and get around in the long-term, as well as the benefits for you.

Map of infrastructure improvements for Toorak

NOTE: This map indicates potential opportunities for future infrastructure delivery and does not present specific projects.

Traditional Owners

The Hawksburn to Malvern and Toorak Village activity centres are located on the lands of the Bunurong People and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People, and we acknowledge them as Traditional Owners.

We pay our respects to Elders past and present, whose knowledge and wisdom have ensured the continuation of spiritual and cultural practices.

Learn more

About the program

We’re planning for more homes across Melbourne so more Victorians can access homes in the places they want to live.

How we're planning

Train and tram zone activity centre plans encourage more homes to be built in the places they fit best.

Stage 2: Expansion program

Learn about the 23 train and tram zone activity centres and consultation program for Stage 2 of the Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program.