Car parks around railway stations could make way for residential development in Brighton, with the state unlocking multiple sites for homes that will further slash car spaces.
Precincts Minister Harriet Shing will this weekend add four new locations to the government’s Small Sites Program, which opens up blocks of surplus government land to the private sector to develop.
North Brighton station is one of the locations where increased density will be located.Credit: Joe Armao
In a move likely to provoke further reactions from locals, two of the sites are car parks on Lindsay Street, near Middle Brighton station, and Marion Street, near North Brighton station.
This would affect about 80 spots out of 110 in Middle Brighton and 75 out of 120 spots in North Brighton. These numbers are estimates and would depend on what the developers ultimately plan for the sites.
The bayside suburb has become a battleground for the Allan government’s housing agenda, with plans for higher-density activity centres around railway stations sparking fierce opposition from sections of the community.
Unlocking the small sites to potential developers also taps into another bugbear for locals in any suburb – the removal of car parks. But it’s a move the Victorian government says will create well-located homes right next to the key transport hubs.
North Brighton and Middle Brighton have been named as two of the government’s 50 new activity centres based around railway stations and key tram stops, which aim to encourage 300,000 new homes by 2051.
In September, the state government published height guidelines for both these centres, which proposed buildings as high as 12 storeys next to the stations.
Surrounding areas, known as the inner and outer catchment around the transport hub, will allow heights of between three and six storeys depending on the size of the lot.
When these height limits were announced, Brighton Liberal MP James Newbury accused Premier Jacinta Allan of “trashing our suburbs because of her plan to grow Melbourne to the size of London”.
Some bayside locals also likened the government’s ambitions to following in the footsteps of the Gold Coast.
But Allan’s team has welcomed opportunities to take her housing plans into the heart of what could be viewed as unfriendly territory.
In 2024, she first revealed her vision for 50 activity centres from Brighton’s Half Moon Hotel while a crowd led by Newbury shouted, “Shame, Premier, shame!” from the Church Street footpath.
In response, the premier and Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny have sought to portray the opposition as “blockers”.
The other two small new sites to be announced this weekend are on Jessie Street, Preston, and at 714 Burke Road, Camberwell. They join six locations announced for the program earlier this year in Croydon South, Carlton, Heidelberg West, Baxter, Bendigo and Geelong.
From Monday, expressions of interest will be open across all 10 sites to seek developers who have experience with medium-density housing.
The four additional sites have been identified as ideal for townhouses and apartments and the government estimates could be used to deliver 700 new homes, with at least 10 per cent earmarked as affordable housing.
“We’re unlocking more land to deliver more homes for Victorian families in established suburbs,” Shing said.
A view of Church Street, Brighton.Credit: Paul Jeffers
“Every Victorian deserves a roof over their head and a place to call home, and this program opens up more opportunity for homes that are close to jobs, schools, services and the outdoor spaces that families love.”
There are now 14 locations across the Small Sites Program, including four pilot locations announced in 2024 in Alphington, Malvern, Preston and Coburg.
Alongside an affordable housing requirement, the government has also piloted financial incentives such as allowing the settlement of the land sale to be delayed until after construction was completed, allowing the successful developers to move more quickly.
Consultation on the government’s 50 activity centres is scheduled to be completed by early next year.
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