Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction

More homes and more opportunities.

Planning for thriving communities

About

The Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program is focused on locating more homes close to train stations and tram lines that have the highest capacity now and into the future.

Plans for the Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction centres have been finalised and approved by the Minister for Planning, which means the planning changes are now in place.

The Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn activity centres are located around the Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn train stations, while Kew Junction has strong tram-focused public transport.

These centres are well‑serviced by public transport. Train services connecting to metropolitan Melbourne, including the city centre, Richmond and Box Hill, which is a future Suburban Rail Loop station.

The centres also benefit from a network of tram services along Burwood Road/Power Street, Glenferrie Road, Cotham Road, High Street and Riversdale Road. Kew Junction has strong tram-focused public transport. There are new trams on the routes serving the centre, with route 109 operating 100 per cent accessible trams.

Visit our Train and Tram Zone Activity Centre Program interactive map to find out where the planning scheme has changed.

The vision for Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction

Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn form a well-connected network of centres, each with its own character yet linked by Burwood Road, leafy neighbourhood streets, a strong local economy, a university and a high quality of urban life.

Together, they offer a rich mix of places to live, work, learn and spend time, all supported by excellent train, tram and active transport options.

Residents and visitors can easily move around the area using the Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale train lines, as well as trams along Burwood Road/Power Street, Glenferrie Road and Riversdale Road. These strong transport connections will be complemented by an increasing focus on walking and cycling.

Kew Junction is the lively heart of the Kew community where people come together for shopping, dining, services and community life. Well‑serviced by trams and easy to walk around, it’s a place people come to for their everyday needs as well as spending time with friends and family. The centre’s green space pockets, distinctive shopfronts, and pedestrian laneways add to its local feel.

Local residents deeply value the distinctive qualities that make the Kew Activity Centre a special and cherished place. Kew Junction is not only a functional hub for daily life, but also a suburb with a strong sense of identity, shaped by its people, history, and environment.

Your feedback helped shape our planning

We heard from the Hawthorn, Auburn, Glenferrie and Kew Junction communities through two rounds of consultation and a Community Reference Group made up of local residents - your feedback helped to shape our planning.

For more information, view the:

Hawthorn, Auburn, Glenferrie and Kew Junction Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres – Consultation Summary Report Phase 2 (PDF, 1.4 MB)

What we did

In response to feedback, we:

  • adjusted heights from the draft maps in areas of the Hawthorn, Auburn and Kew Junction cores to ensure new buildings fit in with the nearby lower density residential area
  • enhanced heritage and local character protections by introducing built form overlay guidelines such as solar protections, landscape setbacks, active ground-floor uses and reduced heights to protect heritage places, important view lines, heritage main streets
  • identified priority potential infrastructure and public realm upgrades across all four centres
  • improved active transport access by identifying key streets for pedestrian and cycling improvements
  • enhanced protections for key streets, including Kent Street and retail areas along Burwood Road and Auburn Road.

Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn Plan

Learn more about the building heights, core and catchment boundaries, and potential opportunities to improve the Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn train and tram zone activity centres.

Download the full plan

Kew Junction Plan

Learn more about the building heights, core and catchment boundaries, and potential opportunities to improve the Kew Junction train and tram zone activity centre.

Download the full plan

Update to planning schemes

To find out more about the planning scheme changes for these centres, see: Amendment GC270

Related activity centres

Learn more about the plans for each of these train and tram zone activity centres.

  • Hawthorn

    More homes and more opportunities in the Hawthorn activity centre.
    Strategy
    current

  • Glenferrie

    More homes and more opportunities in the Glenferrie Activity Centre.
    Strategy
    current

  • Auburn

    More homes and more opportunities in the Auburn activity centre.
    Strategy
    current

  • Kew Junction

    More homes and more opportunities in the Kew Junction Activity Centre.
    Strategy
    current

Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction core and catchment map

- Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn core and catchment map

- Kew Junction core and catchment map

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 Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn area. We know that there will be greater demand for services and infrastructure such as public transport and open spaces as more people move in, with improvements needed to support the growing population.

Our proposed infrastructure contributions plans will 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. Find out more on the How we’re planning page.

Benefits for the community

  • Support improved opportunities for play and recreation.

  • Support safer, attractive and connected walking and riding networks.

  • Support thriving activity centre cores.

  • Support greater choice in travel.

  • Support more efficient road movements for cars and freight.

  • Support improvements to existing community infrastructure.

Local opportunities to improve Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction

Possible place improvements by 2051

Map showing 2051 indicative improvements for Hawthorn to Kew Junction

Resources library

Traditional Owners

The Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn and Kew Junction activity centres are located on the lands of the 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.

Infrastructure contributions reform

We're proposing a new and simpler infrastructure funding system to help deliver the things communities in train and tram zone activity centres will need into the future.

Stage 1: Expansion program

Learn about the 25 train and tram zone activity centres as part of the Stage 1 expansion of the Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program.