New rail loop set to transform middle Melbourne suburbs with high rise housing

The new Suburban Rail Loop will pave the way for more high rises in the suburbs. See how your area will be changed by the plans.

Suburban high rises would be green-lit around new stations as part of the multi-billion dollar rail loop being built under middle Melbourne.

The Herald Sun has learnt that planning rules for some of the six Suburban Rail Loop station precincts – Southland in Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill — could pave the wave for high density housing towers.

This would allow for mini-metropolises that cluster jobs, housing and education together with transport hubs, but would significantly alter the surrounding landscape.

More detailed station footprint designs have also emerged, showing where existing properties will be acquired for the project’s underground hubs to be built using a cut and cover and “bottom-up” construction method.

The government is refusing to provide details on height limits proposed for each of the station areas, saying people would have to wait until an “investment case” is released.
If planning schemes were similar to Box Hill, where buildings such as Sky One and the Chen Hotel already soar about 120m, heights of 30-storeys or more could be allowed.

Stage One of the loop, which will run 26km from Cheltenham to Box Hill, is set to begin construction next year, despite many of the residents and businesses near to the stations still in the dark about project details.

Ange Pet Salon owner, Jason Gong, said project workers had inspected their Box Hill grooming shop and told him it’s possible the business would have to move – despite having a 10-year lease.

“I want to stay of course, it’s a good location,” he said.

“Our business is growing, we are known by a lot of people here now. If we do have to move we want to stay near here.”

Anges Pet Salon in Box Hill is one of the properties that may be acquired to make way for the Suburban Rail Loop. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

William Yang, who owns Whitehorse Liquor, also had a long-term lease and said people feared “if you get bought out by the government you don’t get a good deal”.

“None of us want to move, especially the hair salon they just signed a contract and then they say they might have to move,” he said.

Box Hill is set to be the largest and most complex underground station precinct, due to its length of 350 metres and the fact it crosses Whitehorse Rd and swallows some medium-density buildings.

The precinct is already classified as a metropolitan activity centre, which effectively allows for a mini-city to be developed about 20km from the CBD.

The area of Whitehorse Road in Box Hill where properties will be acquired. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Glen Waverley is the most likely to have a similar density and height limit around the station, with some towers around The Glen redevelopments already 15-storeys.

Other areas, such as near Deakin University in Burwood, would be lower-scale due to the single-level residential housing nearby.

The Andrews Government refused to provide potential height limits, but said the station areas would be “thriving and vibrant places to live and to visit”.

It said Monash is a National Economic and Innovation Cluster, while Cheltenham is classed as Major Activity Centres, meaning they will be “major future activity and growth centres outside Melbourne CBD”.

Suburban Rail Loop Minister Jacinta Allan said the project “will trigger exciting opportunities to attract jobs, housing and services adjacent to world class public transport”.

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