State's 630-home masterplan for VicRoads Kew site draws opposition

Boroondara Council has objected to Development Victoria’s masterplan for 630 homes at the former VicRoads headquarters in Kew, telling the Department of Transport and Planning the state-led process cuts the council out of decisions for the site, The Urban Developer reported on 28 October.

Why it matters

The 1.85-hectare site at 60 Denmark Street sits at the southern end of the Kew Junction activity centre, about 6km east of Melbourne’s CBD, where a seven-storey 1960s office building still stands. The masterplan proposes nine buildings across four parcels, stepping down from a maximum of 16 storeys along Denmark Street and Wellington Street toward heritage areas and residential streets to the south and east. Boroondara’s objection centres on process rather than design alone: the state-led planning pathway removes the council as the responsible authority for the site, which it said reduces local oversight and limits the council’s role in shaping outcomes for a site of this scale in Boroondara, according to The Urban Developer. The council told the department it is best placed to make planning decisions for the site.

The numbers

The 630 homes are split across four parcels. Parcel D, at the southern end, could hold up to 23,500sq m of floor space in buildings of six to 12 storeys. Parcel C adds 18,000sq m across two 10-storey buildings. Parcel B is the largest component at 32,500sq m across three buildings up to 14 storeys, and Parcel A, on Wellington Street, adds a further 19,000sq m across two towers of 14 and 16 storeys. The housing mix spans owner-occupier, build-to-rent and retirement living, with at least 10% of homes to be affordable. Development Victoria says there is clear and unequivocal support for the masterplan, The Urban Developer reported.

What’s next

Boroondara wants height cuts and bigger setbacks from Stratford Avenue, an urban context report, recognition of the former Kew Railway Line and of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People’s continuing connection to Country, and further community consultation before the masterplan proceeds. It also wants a clearer package of public benefits attached to the project. A 2024 rezoning moved the land out of its transport designation into commercial and general residential zoning, clearing the way for Development Victoria to shortlist Riverlee, Lendlease and Mirvac in 2025 as potential delivery partners. The Urban Developer’s report did not include a response from the Department of Transport and Planning to Boroondara’s letter. Elsewhere in the same council area, a 24-apartment Hawthorn project from Pitard Group shows the scale of development Boroondara is more typically asked to assess.