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The State Government has overlooked the unique character of Central Thornbury (between St Georges Road and High Street). It is pushing for 6-storey developments in quiet residential streets, and 8–12 storeys along High Street, disregarding community feedback, council’s housing strategy, existing residential zoning and the basics of infrastructure planning.

We are calling for:

1)      Key residential zones outlined in this petition between St Georges Road and High Street be classified as outer catchment – protect the residential streets

2)      A strict 6 storeys cap on High Street - no exceptions

3)      Proper infrastructure planning with committed funding

4)      Protection for High Street’s unique small shopfronts and village feel

This is about saving the Thornbury we love before it is lost forever.

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We are in a housing crisis, and Thornbury must play its part in delivering more homes. But growth cannot come at the expense of what makes our suburb great.

Thornbury is cherished for its village character: walkable streets, sunlight-filled avenues, heritage shopfronts, expansive parks, and a tightly knit community. These are the reasons many of us chose to live here, and why countless others stay.

But the State Government’s new Train & Tram Activity Centre proposal threatens to transform this unique environment irrevocably encouraging land banking and consolidation by developers and a complete loss of neighbourhood character. Despite clear community feedback in Phase 1 consultation, which called for Thornbury to remain low-rise and village-like, and despite the Community Reference Group’s statement of advice urging responsible growth that protects residential zones, the State has ignored this guidance. More information of the Government's plans can be found here: https://engage.vic.gov.au/activity-centres-program

Existing residential zoning nuances and the Council’s own housing strategy, built on a nuanced, evidence-based approach, has also been disregarded. Where Council supported gradual density through townhouses and dual occupancies in certain areas, the State plan instead imposes blanket mass-density zoning. Incredibly, quiet residential streets earmarked for “incremental change” could now face 6 storey towers on larger sites (4 stories on all sites), a scale utterly out of character with their existing form.

On High Street, the plan is even more extreme: 8 storeys permitted (with up to 12 on select sites), with limited appeal rights for residents and minimal design safeguards. This threatens to overshadow shopfronts, erase the small-business diversity, and destroy the village character that saw High Street named the Best Street in the World in 2024. Turning it into an overcrowded concrete canyon is not growth done well, it is sacrificing what makes Thornbury special in pursuit of blunt housing targets.

This is without even considering the lack of infrastructure planning and funding. Amenities that are already stretched, including childcare, schools, transport, parking, healthcare and green space, will be pushed beyond breaking point with no committed budget to help. When asked about this in Community Reference Group consultations, officials admitted no planning had been done, no budgeting committed, and that impact studies on traffic, parking and amenities would only occur after density levels were locked in. That is allowing the tail to wag the dog.

This plan looks less like good urban planning and more like a deal for developers. It chases numbers without regard for the lived reality of current or future Thornbury residents, reducing our suburb to two tram lines and a train station rather than recognising it as a vibrant community with character, history and heart.

While we support the need for more housing, it must be done thoughtfully and respectfully, aligning with Thornbury’s community values and character. Housing done well should not mean disregarding the very qualities that make this suburb unique.

We are calling for sensible urban planning that preserves Thornbury’s character. Specifically, we call for:

1)      The following zones to be treated as part of the outer catchment (up to 3 stories with max 4 stories on 1000m2 sites), rather than inner catchment:

East West Streets (from North to South)

• a)      Hutton and Harold Street - Between St Georges Road and the train line
• b)      Smith Street - Between St Georges Road and the train line
• c)       Ballantyne Street - Between St Georges Road and the train line
• d)      Shaftesbury Parade – Between St Georges Road and the train line
• e)      Gadd Street – Between St Georges Road and the train line
• f)        Emmaline Street - Between St Georges Road and the train line
• g)       Beaconsfield Parade - Between St Georges Road and the train line and between Stott Street and High Street
• h)      Gladstone Avenue - Between St Georges Road and High Street and between Herbert Street and High Street
• i)        Beavers Road - Between St Georges Road and High Street

North South Streets (from North to South)   

• a)       Clapham Street - From Hutton Street to Ballantyne Street
• b)      Rayment Street – From Hutton Street to Ballantyne Street and at Shaftesbury Parade
• c)       Spencer Street – From Gadd Street to Beaconsfield Parade
• d)      Stott Street – From Woolton Avenue to Beaconsfield Parade
• e)      Johnson Street – Entire street
• f)        Railway Parade – Entire street
• g)       Herbert Street – From Beaconsfield Parade to Beavers Road

Along with any heritage overlay zones.

The following diagram shows these zones:

2)      A strict 6 storey cap along High Street, with no exceptions.

3)      Proper infrastructure planning and impact assessments before rezoning, with committed budget funding for schools, transport, parking, healthcare and green space.

4)      Changes to the High Street design code to protect its unique, diverse small shopfronts and village feel, not just heritage-listed buildings.

Our goal is to protect the homes, businesses and residential streets that define our community, ensuring we increase density in a manner that ensure that Thornbury remains a vibrant village, not swallowed by overdevelopment.

The stakes are high. If this plan proceeds as proposed, we risk losing what makes Thornbury special: its light, its neighbourhood character and its community spirit. We urge those in power to listen to council and community and deliver a balanced solution that accommodates growth without destroying the essence of Thornbury.

Join us in standing up for Thornbury. Sign this petition to keep our community liveable for generations to come.