Caulfield Structure Plan

What areas are included in the draft Caulfield Structure Plan?

The draft Caulfield Structure Plan includes the Caulfield Station, Caulfield Racecourse Reserve, Monash University’s Caulfield campus, Glen Eira College, Derby Road shopping strip, Caulfield Village, Glen Huntly Park and East Caulfield Recreation Reserve, as well as some housing and industrial land.

What is a structure plan?

A structure plan is a long-term plan that guides decisions about future development on private and public property. Structure plans can address a broad range of issues including land use, development, housing, employment, heritage, building and urban design, transport, parking, community infrastructure (open spaces, public spaces and community spaces), environment, sustainability and infrastructure provision. A structure plan’s primary benefit is that it provides coordination and gives greater certainty about future outcomes for government, community, developers and other stakeholders.

Why is Council preparing a structure plan?

Caulfield is a strategically significant activity centre in the City of Glen Eira due to its links with Monash University Caulfield Campus, Caulfield Racecourse Reserve and the Caulfield Station transport hub. The Victorian State Government’s metropolitan strategy, Plan Melbourne 2017–2050, recognises the area as a major activity centre and an education precinct.

Glen Eira City Council, with support from the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA), has undertaken long-term planning for this precinct to shape the opportunities that come with anticipated government and private investment. There are several significant drivers and opportunities within the area which include:

• The increased importance of the Caulfield Station transport hub, due to the convergence of Government’s Metro Tunnel project and Level Crossing Removal Projects across Melbourne’s south-east.
• The preparation of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Land Management Plan by the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust, an independent body appointed by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change to manage the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve.
• The cessation of horse training at Caulfield Racecourse by 2023, which will release land for other uses.
• Continued development of Caulfield Village as a mixed-use development with housing, office and retail space including a new supermarket.
• Continued development of Monash University’s Caulfield campus.
• Opportunities for improved infrastructure provision.

What's happened so far?

The project began when the Minister for Planning directed the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) to prepare the plan in partnership with Glen Eira City Council, City of Stonnington, Department of Transport, Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust and other key stakeholders.

In late 2020, the VPA handed over lead responsibility for the project to Glen Eira City Council. The VPA concluded work after two phases of community engagement and background work, which enabled Council to prepare a draft Caulfield Structure Plan for community engagement in early 2022.

You can read more about the project’s history on the VPA website and in the related resources below. 

Council prepared a draft Caulfield Structure Plan. Community engagement on the draft Plan was open for approximately two months in March and April 2022. Submissions and further analysis informed development of the final Caulfield Structure Plan.

Council adopted the final Caulfield Structure Plan (PDF, 52Mb) on 20 September 2022 at the Ordinary Council Meeting, with the change to reduce the preferred maximum height for the land at 964–972 Dandenong Road and 4 Grange Road Carnegie (within the Grange Precinct) to nine storeys with a four storey street wall height.

Shadow Diagrams — Grange, Booran, Kambrook and Derby Precincts (PDF, 3Mb)

To download the minutes and agenda, visit our Ordinary Council Meeting — Tuesday 20 September 2022 page. 

What’s next?

Council is now preparing draft planning controls and a planning scheme amendment to implement the Caulfield Structure Plan. A further report for approval will be brought to Council for approval in 2023 before a Planning Scheme Amendment process including formal exhibition of the controls is progressed.

For more information, contact Council’s City Futures Department on 03 9524 3333.