Our activity centres — generally our retail streets — are home to a great range of retail, entertainment, hospitality, and commercial services.
Activity Centres
Plan for Victoria and Activity Centres
The State Government released a new State planning strategy in early 2025 – Plan for Victoria replacing the previous metropolitan strategy Plan Melbourne. This new planning strategy provides high level directions for planned growth and land use in Melbourne and the State.
Plan for Victoria, introduced a new designation for activity centres which will guide future growth:
- Activity Centres – Housing Choice and Transport
An activity centre with sufficient public transport, facilities and services to be the location for large numbers of new homes.
The State government has been leading the planning for 60 of these Activity Centres – Housing Choice and Transport throughout Metropolitan Melbourne as part of their Activity Centre Program.
The Activity Centre Program will introduce controls supporting increased housing growth to several of Glen Eira’s Activity Centres including Moorabbin, Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Elsternwick, Caulfield, Glen Huntly, Ormond and Bentleigh.
You can find more information on the State’s Activity Centre Program here:
Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program
Council continues to work with the Victorian State Government to align planning for our activity centres to Plan for Victoria, and in doing so advocate for the best outcome for the Glen Eira Community.
Activity Centres in Glen Eira
At a municipal scale, Glen Eira distinguishes types of activity centres based on their size and services as Major Activity Centres (MACs), Neighbourhood Activity Centres (NACs) and Local Centres.
We have seven Major Activity Centres:
- Bentleigh
- Carnegie
- Caulfield
- East Village – noting that this is an innovation precinct
- Elsternwick
- Glen Huntly
- Moorabbin Junction
We have 11 Neighbourhood Activity Centres:
- Alma Village
- Bentleigh East
- Caulfield Park
- Caulfield South
- Gardenvale
- Hughesdale
- McKinnon
- Murrumbeena
- Ormond
- Patterson
- Ripponlea
We also have a range of local centres.
*Bold centres are part of the Activity Centre Program currently being led by the State Government.
Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program
The Victorian Government is planning for its Activity Centres Program to provide more homes in and around 60 activity centres across Melbourne, focusing on areas near train and tram lines with good access to public transport, services, and open spaces.
The Program proposes to update current planning controls and aims to create 300,000 new homes in these areas by 2051.
The Victorian Government will be the planning authority in developing these activity centre plans. Council will be the planning authority once the new planning controls are in place, this is expected in 2026.
For Victorian Government’s Activity Centres Program, visit: Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program
Council's existing structure plans
Carnegie Structure Plan and Amendment C237
Carnegie is one of the key focus activity centres in the Victorian Government’s planning reforms.
In 2022, Council adopted the Carnegie Structure Plan — a 15-year vision to guide local growth and improvement. It outlines a range of recommendations, including building heights, setbacks, and protections for sunlight in key public spaces.
The Amendment C237 proposed to introduce permanent planning controls (through a Design and Development Overlay) that reflect the Structure Plan. It went through a full public process, including consultation, exhibition, and review by an independent planning panel.
The introduction of a Design and Development Overlay (DDO9) to the centre was proposed to guide the heights and setbacks of new development so that their scale and form respond to the heritage character of Koornang Road and the adjoining residential areas.
Amendment C237 was supported by an independent planning panel and recommended it be adopted subject to some changes.
Council adopted the Amendment on 13 June 2024. The Amendment was then submitted to the Minister for Planning for approval in August 2024.
Planning Scheme Amendment C278
The Minister for Planning has approved Amendment C278glen (Implementing the Carnegie Structure Plan) which replicates the proposed council-led Amendment C237glen.
Amendment C278glen implements the key strategic directions of the Carnegie Structure Plan 2022 as proposed by Amendment C237 but replaces the Design and Development Overlay Schedule 9 (DDO9) with Built Form Overlay Schedule 4 (BFO4). The new BFO4 has been applied to the commercial core of the Carnegie Activity Centre. This change to replace a DDO with a BFO was made by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to give effect to the State Government’s Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program.
The BFO was developed by DTP as part of their Activity Centres Program to provide opportunities to streamline planning assessments and support housing growth in and around activity centres.
The Amendment approved by the Minister implements the Carnegie Structure Plan 2022 in relation to the main commercial core area. The surrounding residential was rezoned to HCTZ under the Activity Centres Program and does not form part of this Amendment.
Amendment C278 deletes the existing Design and Development Overlay (replaced by the BFO) and also makes consequential changes to local policy within the Glen Eira Scheme.
Some notable changes to the council adopted version of Amendment C237glen made by Amendment C278glen include:
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Appling mandatory equinox overshadowing controls to the Woorayl Street Reserve rather than mandatory winter solstice controls. (noting that the independent planning panel had recommended applying a discretionary equinox control rather than the mandatory winter solstice Council was originally seeking). The final decision to apply the mandatory equinox control is considered a reasonable outcome.
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Amend the wording to clarify that the overshadowing requirement for the active recreation space below the Skyrail immediately west of Koornang Road is a discretionary equinox control applying between 10am–2pm.
Elsternwick Structure Plan and Amendment C256
The Elsternwick Structure Plan was adopted in 2023 and associated Amendment C256 was exhibited in early 2025. Council received several submissions to this exhibition and has advocated for the Elsternwick Structure Plan and these submissions to be included in the planning for the Elsternwick activity centre under the Activity Centres Program.
Elsternwick activity centre is part of Stage 2 of the Victorian Government’s Activity Centre Program. Phase 2 engagement for this centre took place in March 2026. In June 2026 the final plan for the Elsternwick activity centre was released proposing building heights in the core between 5-12 storeys, aligning with the adopted Elsternwick Structure Plan (Amendment C256). Further details on building heights at specific locations has yet to be provided.
Planning Scheme provisions to implement the plan are expected to be introduced into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme in the second half of 2026.
To view the Victorian State Government factsheet visit: Elsternwick factsheet.pdf
Bentleigh Structure Plan and proposed Amendment C262
Council endorsed the planning scheme amendment to incorporate the objectives of the Structure Plan into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme on 23 July 2024. Council has yet to receive authorisation from the Minister of Planning to exhibit this amendment.
Bentleigh activity centre is now part of Stage 2 of the Victorian Government’s Activity Centre Program. Phase 2 engagement for this centre took place in March 2026. In June 2026 the final plan for Bentleigh activity centre was released by the Activity Centres Program proposing building heights generally between 6 – 8 storeys with 10 storey heights limited to a small number of larger strategic sites (Woolworths and RSL site and Coles site). The final plans propose general increases in building heights by 1 – 2 storeys across the majority of the activity centre core compared to what was adopted under the Bentleigh Structure Plan.
The final plans adopt a similar approach to transition from lower to higher building heights along Centre Road as adopted under the Bentleigh Structure Plan.
Planning Scheme provisions to implement the plan are expected to be introduced into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme in the second half of 2026.
To view the Victorian State Government fact sheet visit: Caulfield-to-bentleigh-factsheet.pdf
Caulfield Structure Plan and proposed Amendment C245
The Caulfield Structure Plan was adopted by Council on 20 September 2022.
Council has prepared draft planning controls and a planning scheme amendment to implement the Caulfield Structure Plan. The draft Amendment C245glen was endorsed by Council on 21 May 2024. Council has yet to receive authorisation from the Minister of Planning to exhibit this amendment.
Caulfield Activity Centre is now part of Stage 2 of the Victorian Government’s Activity Centre Program. Phase 2 engagement for this centre took place in March 2026. In June 2026 the final plan for the Caulfield activity centre was released by the Activity Centres Program. The plan proposes building heights of generally between 6-12 storeys, with up to 20 storeys proposed for a strategic site north of the railway line.
Building heights proposed under the Activity Centre Program are generally 2-3 storeys higher than those adopted under the Caulfield Structure Plan. The Plan also does not apply building heights to large strategic development sites along Kambrook Road and Booran Road, which were identified in the adopted Structure Plan as key locations for future housing growth with building heights between 4-12 storeys envisaged.
Planning Scheme provisions to implement the plan are expected to be introduced into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme in the second half of 2026.
To view the Victorian State Government factsheet visit: Caulfield-to-bentleigh-factsheet.pdf
Glen Huntly Structure Plan and proposed Amendment C221
The Glen Huntly Structure Plan was adopted by Council on 23 September 2021.
Council has prepared an Amendment which was endorsed by Council on 8 November 2023 to implement key directions in the Plan in the form of permanent planning controls for the use of land. Council has yet to receive authorisation from the Minister of Planning to exhibit this amendment.
Glen Huntly Activity Centre is now part of Stage 2 of the Victorian Government’s Activity Centre Program. Phase 2 engagement for this centre took place in March 2026. In June 2026 the final plan for Glen Huntly activity centre was released by the Activity Centres Program. Building heights proposed under the Activity Centre Program are generally higher than those adopted under the Caulfield Structure Plan with notable increases in building height of 4 to 8 storeys at the western end of the centre and larger strategic development sites increasing from 8 to 12 storeys. Building height through the main retail precinct will generally increase by up to 2 storeys under the new plan, as compared to the Council adopted Glen Huntly Structure Plan.
Planning Scheme provisions to implement the plan are expected to be introduced into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme in the second half of 2026.
To view the Victorian State Government factsheet visit: Caulfield-to-bentleigh-factsheet.pdf
