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The eastern suburbs of Melbourne is a commonly used informal term for the parts of Melbourne, Victoria, located to the east of the central business district (CBD). The label has no single official boundary, but is widely used in government planning, service delivery and the media. In Victorian planning documents the comparable Eastern Metropolitan Region typically covers the local government areas of Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.[1] The region is often characterised by leafy residential neighbourhoods, established activity centres such as Box Hill and Ringwood, and proximity to the Dandenong Ranges.[2][3]
Because the term is informal, usage varies. Victorian planning material groups much of Melbourne's east into the Eastern Metropolitan Region (Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges).[1] Other regional collaborations sometimes use slightly different membership. For example, the Eastern Region Group of Councils (ERG) comprises Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges,[4] while the Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (EAGA) includes the above councils plus Boroondara and Stonnington.[5] In emergency management, the Eastern Metropolitan Region partnership also lists the six core councils noted above.[6]
Statistical reporting often refers to ABS regions such as Melbourne – Inner East and Melbourne – Outer East, which do not align perfectly with council boundaries but broadly cover established eastern districts and the foothills and peri-urban areas towards the Yarra Ranges.[7]
Geography
Melbourne's eastern suburbs grade from relatively flat inner and middle suburbs into hillier outer areas with extensive open space and bushland. The Dandenong Ranges National Park forms a scenic backdrop to many eastern municipalities and provides walking trails, picnic areas and lookouts.[8] Major waterways and parklands include Jells Park in Wheelers Hill and Ruffey Lake Park in Doncaster.[9][10]
Local government
Councils commonly associated with Melbourne's eastern suburbs include Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges (partly metropolitan, partly peri-urban).[1] Some definitions also include neighbouring inner-eastern councils such as Boroondara.[5]
Activity centres and land use
Several principal centres in the east are designated in state and local planning as activity centres - compact, mixed-use hubs around public transport. Box Hill is a Plan Melbourne Metropolitan Activity Centre with a significant health and education precinct and a major public transport interchange.[2][11]Ringwood is designated as a Metropolitan Activity Centre, with a council-adopted masterplan and a state Activity Centre Plan guiding higher-density housing and employment around Ringwood Station.[3][12] The state's Activity Centres Program more broadly targets well-connected centres across metropolitan Melbourne, including in the east, for additional housing close to jobs, services and public transport.[13][14]
Demographics
The eastern suburbs include a mix of long-established suburbs and newer growth on the metropolitan fringe. Many areas have relatively high home ownership and educational attainment, alongside significant cultural diversity. For example, in the City of Whitehorse (which includes Box Hill and surrounding suburbs), people reporting Chinese ancestry comprised 26.2% of the population at the 2021 Census, with 13.0% of residents born in China (ex-SARs and Taiwan).[15] Across Greater Melbourne’s eastern SA4s, socio-economic indicators and cultural composition vary by municipality and by distance from the CBD.[16]
Economy
The economy of Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs is supported by a mix of retail, healthcare, education, and professional services. Major shopping centres such as Eastland in Ringwood, Westfield Knox in Wantirna South, and The Glen in Glen Waverley are economic anchors. The Eastern Health network provides a substantial portion of healthcare services in the region, with major hospitals such as Box Hill Hospital and Maroondah Hospital.
Education
Deakin University's Burwood Campus is a major tertiary institution in the east, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.[17] The region also contains numerous government and independent secondary schools operated by the Victorian Department of Education and non-government providers.
Councils collaborate on climate mitigation and adaptation across Melbourne's east through the Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (EAGA). Joint projects focus on energy efficiency, emissions reduction and urban greening across member municipalities.[25]
Future developments
State planning initiatives identify Box Hill and Ringwood for substantial additional housing and jobs, with updated activity centre plans and controls to concentrate growth around transport and services.[2][3] The SRL East project is slated to deliver new stations and interchanges through Melbourne's southeast and east, including Box Hill and Glen Waverley, improving cross-city connectivity.[23] Upgrades to the Eastern Freeway associated with the North East Link project aim to improve traffic flow through the inner east and middle east corridors.[21]
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