Clayton is growing, and we need to plan now to cater for this growth in the decades ahead, actively delivering more homes and jobs where people want to live. As Australia’s largest housing project, Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) will not only connect our suburbs and slash travel times, it will ensure our city grows in the right places, supporting the delivery of more housing choice on the doorstep of world-class public transport, services, jobs, schools, parks and cafés.

The Vision for Clayton sets out the long-term aspiration for the precinct to cater for anticipated growth. It sets the strategic direction for future planning and will inform the Clayton Structure Plan. Together, these will guide planning, investment and development initiatives in the precinct.

Keep an eye out for the Draft Structure Plan in early 2025 – this will detail proposed land use and building height changes for further consultation.

The Vision for Clayton includes a vision statement and a Conceptual Precinct Plan.

The Vision for Clayton

A benchmark for inclusive renewal, where diverse communities can live together and the world-leading health hub will deliver exceptional care.

Clayton will be a welcoming, eclectic and cosmopolitan district with a vibrant high street at its heart – infused with the character of great international food, independent traders and local creativity. With thoughtful planning and development, Clayton’s growing centre will build on the area’s existing character and community spirit. Its rich mix of activity will make it an interesting and attractive place to live, work and visit.

Creating sustainable neighbourhoods with more homes that provide greater choice for people of different ages and cultures means Clayton will remain an inclusive and vibrant place to live.

A program of urban enhancement will support Clayton as a welcoming, comfortable place with a strong identity. It will be a greener, cooler place with new homes to support its students, health care workers, young professionals and families.

Clayton will evolve as a major employment and community services centre. Its world-leading health hub will deliver exceptional specialist services and patient care. The precinct area brings together research institutions, major hospitals and commercial enterprises, making it a place of entrepreneurial energy.

Clayton will be a great place for walking or cycling – and as a public transport super hub, there will be less reliance on vehicles to get around. Better connectivity will bring communities, cultures, businesses and services together in Clayton, strengthening its lively culture and creating more opportunities for everyone.

Conceptual Precinct Plan

The Conceptual Precinct Plan for Clayton is a spatial representation of the Vision.

The plan identifies where longer-term change is expected to occur into the 2050s as Clayton grows.

From time to time the plan may be refined by SRLA, in response to community needs and the detailed technical studies that will support the planning implementation through structure plans and planning scheme amendments.

How your feedback has directly shaped the Vision for Clayton

Ideas, issues and opportunities from several years of community and stakeholder consultation have been essential to forming a long-term vision for Clayton that reflects the community’s needs and expectations, as well as addressing the requirements of a growing population.

Feedback from community and stakeholders has shaped the Vision for Clayton, with the following updates made since we consulted on the Draft Precinct Vision in 2023/24:

Enriching Community

• Acknowledges the need for more social and affordable housing as well as student accommodation, by prioritising more areas for housing growth
• Expands areas of higher residential change close to the new SRL East station and local amenities, and where the Clayton and Monash precincts interface
• Expands medium residential change areas around key employment destinations to increase housing choice
• Captures the intent for improved access to community facilities and spaces, to ensure social wellbeing as the precinct grows

Boosting the Economy

• More clearly defines areas for health services to grow around Monash Medical Centre, reinforcing the value people place on expanding key health assets and the need to encourage collaboration between services
• Includes new, diversified land use areas along Clayton Road to support health services, retail and commercial based activity

Enhancing Place

• Encourages safe, attractive and comfortable environments for pedestrians to move through and gather
• Promotes improved integration between the Monash Medical Centre and areas of significant and higher change mixed-use development along Clayton Road and surrounding the new SRL East station
• Prioritises high quality and attractive development, particularly along Clayton Road

Better Connections

• Identifies additional cross-precinct connections between central Clayton and the Audsley Street Employment Area, and Namatjira Park
• Improves access to the health precinct via Mary Street
• Captures the intent for enhanced connectivity and integration with the Monash Precinct
• Encourages upgrades to local walking and cycling infrastructure to improve safety, convenience and accessibility across and between modes of transport, and provide more opportunities for people to make local trips without the need to use a car

Delivering the Vision for Clayton

SRLA is responsible for preparing and applying the required planning controls that will help to realise the Vision, commencing with the preparation of the Clayton Structure Plan.

The draft structure plans for each SRL precinct and associated technical studies, along with draft planning scheme amendments, will be publicly released for consultation in early 2025. During this time people will have the opportunity to provide further feedback via a formal submission.

Following exhibition, the Minister for Planning may refer public submissions to an independent Advisory Committee which will consider the draft planning scheme amendments. If approved, the planning scheme amendments will be gazetted in 2026, meaning they will come into effect.

You can stay up to date with the structure planning process and opportunities to have your say by subscribing to our enews.

The engagement timeline for the SRL East structure plans and planning scheme amendments: