Tooronga

Reference

current

Published: March 2026

Last updated: 08 March 2026

The vision for Tooronga

The following vision for Tooronga 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.

Tooronga will remain a well‑connected local centre known for fresh food, dining and everyday services.

Its Edwardian and interwar character will be complemented by new homes that offer more housing options for the community.

Support for housing growth that protects the existing character of the area, particularly generous landscape setbacks and tree planting.

Tooronga community member

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

We heard that community members value the historic shopfronts and façades along Malvern Road, as well as the green setbacks and transitions into the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The CRG recognises Tooronga for its blended historic and contemporary architecture, where a balance between commercial activity and residential calm is maintained.

To preserve the heritage character, we have planned for a mix of building types along Malvern Road. We have also planned for landscape setbacks in places at the edge of the core to maintain Tooronga’s leafy setting.

We heard that the community is generally supportive of increased density within the Tooronga Activity Centre core, provided it does not compromise heritage, greater housing choices and landscaping opportunities.

Tooronga to Holmesglen 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

Tooronga 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 Tooronga, the inner catchment responds to surrounding services along Malvern Road and the 72 tram (Melbourne University to Camberwell).

What we are doing for your community

As part of our work, we've:

included landscape setbacks at the edge of the centre to encourage urban greening
applied active frontages along Malvern Road to encourage pedestrian activity and ensure a thriving commercial area
applied 10-storey building height to large sites with high development potential
included higher building heights of 8 storeys focussed to the western end of Malvern Road
identified Malvern Road as a key pedestrian street with higher sun protection.

Refer to the following plans:

Plan 3: Tooronga typology, activation and setbacks
Plan 4: Tooronga 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 3 (above): Tooronga 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 4 (above): Tooronga building heights and sun protection

The plans support the right types of homes being built in the places they fit best. These are some of the kinds of homes you might see more of in the future.