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The vision for Riversdale and Willison
The following vision for the Riversdale and Willison train and tram zone activity centres is built from the Statement of Advice prepared by a Community Reference Group (CRG) made up of local community members, as well as Boroondara Council's strategic work and engagement.
Riversdale and Willison will support an inclusive community that offers a diverse range of housing choice which caters to people at all stages of life.
The area’s leafy character will be strengthened through the retention and enhancement of canopy trees, creating a cooler, greener environment.
Development of future homes will be guided by respect for heritage, ensuring that the area’s unique history and identity are preserved and celebrated for future generations.
Why Riversdale and Willison are in the program
The program is about creating more opportunities for diverse types of housing in areas close to existing train and tram services that have room to grow now and into the future.
The Riversdale and Willison centres are well-serviced by public transport with train services connecting to other parts of metropolitan Melbourne, including the Melbourne central city, Camberwell Junction and Ringwood.
The activity centres are also services by the route 70 tram, which provides access to a range of destinations including the Melbourne central city, Docklands, Richmond and Wattle Park.
In response to the land uses, size and scale of Riversdale and Willison and their designation as a ‘Neighbourhood centre’ in Plan for Victoria, we are only applying catchments for these activity centres.
As part of our work, we have:
- applied lower heights to large heritage precincts in the catchment, to respond to existing heritage character
- proposed Frog Hollow Reserve Hall and Fordham Avenue Kindergarten as places for potential community infrastructure improvements.
Riversdale and Willison catchment map
View the Riversdale and Willison core and catchment map.
Riversdale and Willison catchment explained
The catchment is the surrounding area within approximately 10 minutes’ walk of the core (around 800 metres).
As you move away from 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.
Key features that influenced the catchment boundaries include:
- heritage overlays
- distance from Riversdale Station
- distance from Willison Station
- access to the route 70 tram line
- land recently rezoned to Housing Choice and Transport Zone.
In Riversdale and Willison, the inner catchment along Riversdale Road reflects direct access to both Riversdale Station and the route 70 tram.
The outer catchment responds to existing heritage overlay precincts and distance from the train stations.
The outer catchment ties into land that was recently changed to Housing Choice and Transport zoning as part of the Camberwell Junction Activity Centre.
Visit the How we’re planning page to find out more about core and catchment areas, new planning tools, streamlined planning processes and the approach to delivering more homes in train and tram zone activity centres.
Page last updated: 22/07/26