Specialists in Preston's Major Activity Centre context. Apartment-scale design with Darebin's ESD framework navigation.
Reviewed May 2026Preston is Darebin's largest residential suburb and the location of its Major Activity Centre. Edwardian, interwar, and postwar housing stock combine with active RGZ/MUZ corridors along High Street, Plenty Road, and Bell Street. The Preston Market and station precinct anchor a substantial redevelopment context, with the C175dare amendment shaping built-form expectations across the activity centre.
Preston has specific planning requirements within Darebin Council. With numerous projects approved across the suburb, we have built relationships with council planners and understand exactly what they look for in applications.
Most residential land in Preston falls within one of these zone families, each with materially different development outcomes.
Applies across the established residential streets — the most common designation in this suburb.
Applies in denser residential pockets and contemporary townhouse precincts where multi-unit development is most readily achievable.
Applies along the High Street corridor (Preston, Thornbury, Northcote) and around Preston and Reservoir stations. Heights and densities vary under the relevant DDO.
Source: Darebin Planning Scheme, planning-schemes.app.planning.vic.gov.au. Latest amendment C175dare, last verified May 2026.
Applied across older residential precincts and Preston's commercial heritage
Applies across the activity centre and the activity corridors
Flood-related; applies in selected catchments
Applies to selected ex-industrial sites
Applies in the activity centre
Overlay status should be confirmed for any specific site before contract exchange. The planning scheme is the authoritative source — Vicmap Property and the Darebin Property Profile tool are useful starting points.
ESD/sustainability features, considered streetscape response, transit-oriented design
heritage precincts, neighbourhood character interfaces, parking provision, ESD outcomes
Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA) for most multi-unit applications, escalating to a Sustainability Management Plan for larger projects
8–12 weeks for first Request for Information (RFI)
Per Feasibly council intelligence data, last verified May 2026.
For Preston specifically, the council pays particular attention to heritage overlay considerations.
Gazetted current
Built-form controls and structure plan implementation for the Preston Major Activity Centre, including refined Design and Development Overlay schedules along High Street
View source →Gazetted earlier
Heritage Overlay extended across additional Northcote and Thornbury precincts identified in the heritage review
View source →Gazetted 6 March 2025
Statewide reform introducing a deemed-to-comply pathway under Clause 55 for multi-dwelling developments of three storeys or less. Where every standard is met, no third-party appeal applies. Operative for applications lodged from 31 March 2025.
View source →[2024] VCAT 805
Tribunal preliminary hearing addressing codified Standard B22 (overlooking) — illustrates the deemed-to-comply pathway under the new Townhouse and Low-Rise Code framework.
Practical implication: Overlooking compliance under codified standards is now binding; design response to Standard B22 must be documented for multi-dwelling applications.
Across recent Preston dual occupancy and townhouse outcomes, a recognisable pattern of successful applications emerges. While every site differs, the following observations apply to most viable approval pathways in the suburb.
Tribunal decisions on Darebin applications regularly address the council's heritage, activity-centre, and ESD framework. The High Street corridor (Preston, Thornbury, Northcote) is the most active RGZ/MUZ context in the municipality, with heritage character at the residential interface a recurring assessment criterion.
These patterns indicate typical successful pathways. Site-specific outcomes depend on the particular planning context, design response, and engagement strategy chosen.
Preston's Major Activity Centre and the C175dare framework make it Darebin's most active redevelopment environment. Strong ESD documentation is foundational.
Sammi Lian, Principal Architect, SQM Architects
— On developing in Preston
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Written by Sammi Lian, Principal Architect.
SQM Architects | ABN 32 600 928 390 | Architects Registration Board of Victoria, Reg. No. 51498.
210+ projects delivered across Melbourne’s east. 98% planning approval rate.
This page provides general information about engaging architects for property development in Preston, Victoria. It is not architectural, planning, or financial advice. Site-specific outcomes vary and should be confirmed by qualified professionals after a site-specific assessment. Planning scheme provisions and council practices are subject to change; references on this page were verified May 2026.
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