Council decision

At its Ordinary Meeting of 19 May 2020, Council considered the Panel report regarding the Highett Structure Plan (Amendment C160bays). After considering the recommendations of the Panel report, Council decided to incorporate all the Panel’s recommended changes. The Amendment has now been sent to the Minister for Planning for approval. If he approves it the Amendment will be ‘gazetted’ and will immediately come into effect in the Bayside Planning Scheme.


The Highett Structure Plan sets out the long-term strategic vision and action plan for the area. Its role is to guide change in Highett over the next 20 years in relation to:

  • future land use
  • how people access and move around the area
  • types and heights of buildings
  • parks and open spaces
  • improvements to infrastructure
  • the character of the area
  • biodiversity and sustainability

The Highett Structure Plan was originally developed in 2004 and adopted in 2006. Since the Structure Plan was developed, land use and demographic change has occurred in Highett which means it is time to review and potentially make updates to the Structure Plan to ensure it remains current and relevant.

Melbourne’s population is expected to grow from current population levels of 4.5 million to almost 8 million by 2051. To ensure this growth is sustainable, the majority of this population is to be housed in Melbourne’s established suburbs, in ‘activity centres’ with good access to jobs, services and public transport.

For Bayside, this means the municipality’s population will grow by around 15,500 people from 2016 to 2036. This translates to approximately 1980 new residents in Highett during that time. As one of Bayside's main activity centres, Highett has had a Structure Plan in place since 2004 to strategically plan for this growth. The review of the Highett Structure Plan will provide the future planning framework for the area to ensure that the projected future population can be accommodated while retaining the key characteristics that make Highett a great place to live.

For more information on current developments in Highett, click here

For more information on the people who live in Highett, click here

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