Activities Areas Overview

Activities areas are vibrant hubs where people shop, work, meet, relax and often live. Usually well-served by public transport, they range in size and intensity of use from local neighbourhood strip shopping centres to universities and major regional shopping malls.

Policy

Activities areas are the focus of major urban change over the next 30 years. They are areas that encourage development to foster more sustainable and vibrant communities. 

The Victorian Government seeks to increase the concentration of activities in metropolitan Melbourne within a network of activity centres, both existing and planned. This network will comprise a range of centres that differ in size and function and are connected by public transport. Catchments of these centres may overlap, allowing as many people as possible the maximum choice in services, employment and social interaction.

Metropolitan Melbourne has a network of activities areas of various types and sizes, classified into five types:

Central Activities Areas

There are seven metropolitan Central Activities Areas; Melbourne; Box Hill; Broadmeadows; Dandenong; Footscray; Frankston and Ringwood. Melbourne is the metropolitan area's largest centre of activity with the greatest variety of uses and the most intense concentration of development.

Melbourne will continue to be the preferred location for activities that have State or national significance, and for activities that have a significant impact as trip generators, drawing users from around the metropolitan area and beyond.

The additional six Central Activities Areas will allow Melbourne to move away from one large inner centre (focused around the Central Business District) to a number of larger centres, like mini-CBDs in the suburbs and regional centres, and will be the focus of a substantial proportion of future employment growth and public investment.

For further information on Central Activities Areas visit Central Activities Areas.

Principal Activities Areas

These are large centres with mix of activities that are well served by public transport (e.g. Coburg, Preston, Knox Central, Werribee). The size and/or location of Principal Activities Areas mean they have an especially important role to play as a focus for community activity, services and investment. There are a total of 20 Principal Activities Areas.

Major Activities Areas

These are similar to Principal Activities Areas but serve smaller catchment areas (e.g. Moorabbin, Pakenham, Williamstown). They provide additional scope to accommodate ongoing investment and change in retail, office, community, service and residential markets. There are a total of 94 Major Activities Areas.

Specialised Activities Areas

These are important economic precincts (e.g. Monash University/Health Research Precinct, Melbourne Airport) that provide a mix of economic activities that generate high numbers of work and visitor trips. Their planning and development should reinforce their specialised economic function. There are a total of 10 Specialised Activities Areas

Neighbourhood Activities Areas

These centres have a limited mix of uses meeting local needs and are dominated by small businesses and shops and limited community services. They offer some local convenience services and some public transport provision but are not necessarily located on the Principal Public Transport Network (PPTN). Further information about Neighbourhood Activities Areas is available from the Activities Areas Frequently Asked Questions.

Where are the areas?

There are 131 designated Central Activities Areas, Principal, Major and Specialised Activities Areas across Metropolitan Melbourne.

Development of this network of activity centres is critical to metropolitan Melbourne’s future economic performance. The intent is to substantially reinforce the network by connecting the Central Activities Areas and Principal Activities Areas into an expanded public transport network – the Principal Public Transport Network – and encouraging more mixed-use development in appropriately located centres. Continued development at Major Activities Areas will supplement the network of Central Activities Areas and Principal Activities Areas.

As the metropolitan area grows, new activity centres will be needed to serve new and changing communities. Twelve new Major Activities Areas were identified in 2005. These centres are: Casey Central, Hampton Park and Officer (Casey-Cardinia); Craigieburn, Craigieburn Town Centre and Greenvale (Hume); Toolern (Melton); Boardwalk, Laverton, Manor Lakes and Truganina (Wyndham); and Mernda (Whittlesea).

How can I get further information?

For further information on Activities Areas:

  • Phone: 1300 366 356 (local call cost) or TTY +61 3 9603 8806 (8.30am-5pm Monday - Friday)

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