Current Issues
State Government planning reforms
Surrey Hills and Mont Albert are middle ring suburbs east of the Melbourne CBD. They are renowned for the tree canopy in local streets, spacious garden allotments and a wide variety of housing styles from the 1880s to the present day. They also feature local shopping villages with public transport access at Mont Albert, Surrey Hills, Surrey Hills North and Wattle Park.
The landscape and heritage character of the area, walkability to local shops and services, public transport and schools are highly valued by residents. Our values are centred on these elements, with social connection, building design, pedestrian and cycling safety and support for local businesses being very important to us.
The Association supports urban consolidation policies including provision for low and medium-rise apartments in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert. However, we continue to advocate for planning policies that place emphasis on respectful siting and building design, neighbourhood amenity, environment, heritage and the streetscape.
Opportunities for input by the public to planning decisions are also important to the Association.
Victoria's planning reforms, initiated by the 2023 Housing Statement, involve a major overhaul that aims to speed up housing approvals and boost supply with a focus on delivering 70% of housing growth in established suburbs and 30% on the fringes of metropolitan Melbourne.
The key reforms are summarised as:
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Significant changes to the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to create faster pathways for planning permits, including a tiered approval system – 10 days for single homes, 30 days for townhouses and 60 days for larger developments;
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Simplified permit requirements and new zoning controls to support housing growth in activity centres;
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Plan Victoria replaces Plan Melbourne as the new state-wide strategic plan;
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Councils can now grant permits, even if they breach a restrictive covenant, removing a common legal hurdle for development.
SRL Box Hill - Impacts of planning changes on our suburbs
The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a Victorian Government project, described as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future liveability, productivity and connectivity of Melbourne". The 90km rail line will link every major rail line from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line via Melbourne Airport with the aim of better connecting Victorians to jobs, retail, education, health services and each other.
Stage one of the project is SRL East (from Cheltenham to Box Hill), which the Government says will connect major employment, health, education and retail destinations in Melbourne’s east and south-east by slashing travel times, connecting people travelling on the Gippsland corridor and building and creating up to 8000 direct local jobs. Construction started June 2022 and trains will be running by 2035.
This enormous, city-shaping project relies on the development of high density living around its stations, including Box Hill, for its viability. After a major consultation and public hearing process, the Government is now considering changes to the Box Hill planning scheme to facilitate further high rise in, and extending out from, Box Hill Central. More housing is great, but not at the expense of poor design outcomes, lost open space and inadequate tree canopy cover that degrades liveability for everyone.
Securing the old Box Hill Brickworks site for parkland
The former Box Hill Brickworks site, at 14 Federation Street, Box Hill, is a 7.1 hectare site located east of Elgar Road within walking distance of Mont Albert and Surrey Hills.
Precinct planning by the state government’s Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) proposes rezoning Box Hill for high-density housing with an anticipated doubling of the population over the next 15 years. However, there is no plan for a proportionate increase in open space - especially passive green open space.
A recent open space report by the SRLA states “The population in the Box Hill Structure Plan area is forecast to more than double (119 per cent) by 2041. This highlights the need to plan public open space to serve the future population”.
What is needed is a substantial, accessible, and usable area of green open space to serve the needs of future generations, many who will live in apartments. Even now, the Box Hill CBD and neighbouring suburbs, such as Mont Albert and Surrey Hills, have some of the lowest per capita open space in Melbourne.
The Brickworks site (formerly a quarry and landfill) is a rare, strategically located parcel of land that could provide crucial amenity and a lasting benefit to Box Hill and adjacent suburbs such as Mont Albert and Surrey Hills.
The Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Progress Association (SHMAPA), the Combined Residents of Whitehorse Group (CROWAG) and the Box Hill Brickworks Parkland Association, among others, have advocated for the site to be retained as green passive open space.
The Darebin Parklands in Fairfield and All Nations Park in Northcote are examples, of many around Melbourne, where former quarries and landfill sites have been transformed into parks.
The SUBURBAN RAIL LOOP AUTHORITY (SRL) has other ideas for the Box Hill Brickworks site, earmarking it as a key site for major housing development.
The Planning Minister recently endorsed independent panel advice to rezone the site for high density development with up to 10-storey buildings around the perimeter of the site, taller buildings in the middle and just 5% for public open space.
A strong community campaign is continuing with a public rally to be held on Sunday 23 August 2026 to agitate for the site to be saved for passive open space.
Increasing and improving Open Space in our suburbs
The suburbs of Surrey Hills and Mont Albert in postcode 3127 have the lowest per capita provision of open space in their respective municipalities and amongst the lowest in the metropolitan area generally.
As well as upgrading existing open spaces, we need to work with both councils to identify and secure new open spaces and to connect them effectively with passive transport networks (walking and cycling).
We were delighted recently to hear that Whitehorse Council has acquired properties in Mont Albert Road, near Mont Albert Village, to create a new open space garden and park. See news story
Protecting and increasing the tree canopy cover in our suburbs
The State Government has a target of 30% tree canopy cover across metropolitan Melbourne but achieving this seems to be at odds with their planning reforms which look to maximise site coverage and yield, reducing tree planting on private land.
We were particularly concerned recently to see that the State government had allowed SLO-9 Vegetation Overlay to lapse. We believe loss of this important control will make it more difficult to achieve the 30% targets. See our submission from May this year.
We need to work with local councils and others to find ways to promote more tree coverage in our suburbs.
