Place AU · Business Investment Report

Kew Business Investment & Opportunity Report

Kew VIC 3101 · City of Boroondara · Inner East Melbourne

Report typeBusiness Investment Analysis

GeographySuburb - Kew VIC 3101 (SAL21336)

Data currencyABS Census 2021 · ABS ERP 2024

PreparedJune 2026 · Government sources only

LGACity of Boroondara

Distance to CBD~6 km east

Investment verdict

Kew is a structurally strong location for premium services, health and wellness, professional services, education and hospitality. Its demographic fundamentals - high income, high education, elevated work-from-home penetration and a growing Chinese-Australian community - are durable characteristics, not cyclical conditions. Entry cost, heritage complexity and the absence of a train station cap the addressable market for volume-dependent or price-competing formats. Businesses with high revenue per transaction and low foot-traffic dependence are best positioned.

Executive Summary - Five Investment Findings

Finding 01

Kew's spending power sits in the top tier of Australian suburbs

Median household income of $2,497 per week is 42% above the Victorian median ($1,759). Households earning $3,000 or more per week represent 43.8% of all Kew households - 81% more than the Victorian rate of 24.2%. Premium pricing is structurally sustainable across most service categories. Real household income grew approximately 11.8% between 2016 and 2021 after CPI adjustment, confirming the income premium is widening, not static.

ABS Census 2021, HIND variable, SAL21336 · ABS CPI 6401.0 (2016-2021)

Finding 02

The 40% work-from-home rate creates a permanent daytime resident economy

40.1% of employed Kew residents worked from home on Census night - 56% above the Victorian norm of 25.7%. Only 32.6% of residents drive to work (vs 42.8% Vic.), reinforcing that a majority of Kew workers spend weekdays in the suburb. The structural effect is a sustained daytime population generating demand for all-day hospitality, allied health, co-working and convenience services that commuter-dependent suburbs cannot match.

ABS Census 2021, MTWP variable, SAL21336

Finding 03

The Chinese-Australian community is under-served relative to its population share

16.2% of Kew residents report Chinese ancestry and 8.6% speak Mandarin at home - both approximately 2.5 times the Victorian rate. China is the second-highest birthplace (6.6% of residents vs 2.6% state average). Bilingual professional services, authentic Chinese hospitality formats and culturally appropriate aged care coordination are underrepresented in the Kew Junction precinct relative to the scale of this community.

ABS Census 2021, ANCP and LANP variables, SAL21336

Finding 04

Kew Junction is the only viable commercial investment node - differentiation on quality is essential

The C1Z Commercial 1 Zone covers approximately 12% of the suburb and represents the primary opportunity for new commercial premises. All other land is constrained by GRZ8's mandatory 9-metre height cap, Heritage Overlays and the Neighbourhood Character Overlay. The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) Activity Centre Program (February 2025) has selected Kew Junction for new planning controls, signalling medium-term uplift in residential density and commercial activation over a 5-10 year horizon.

Boroondara Planning Scheme via VicPlan, verified May 2026 · DTP Activity Centre Program 2025

Finding 05

The absence of a train station is a structural ceiling on non-resident catchment

Kew is served by tram routes 48 and 109 but has no train station. This limits the non-resident commuter footfall that underpins after-hours and weekend trade in comparable inner-suburban centres. Business models requiring high volumes of non-resident foot traffic face a constraint that marketing investment cannot resolve. The suburb's commercial strengths lie in its resident catchment - not in drawing customers from across Melbourne.

DTP public transport network data · ABS Census 2021, MTWP variable

Suburb Overview & Location Context

Figure 1: Kew VIC 3101 (SAL21336) - suburb boundary (teal fill, authoritative ABS ASGS SAL 2021 geometry via absmapsdata), Kew Junction Activity Centre approximate extent (amber dashed, derived from DTP GC270 2025), tram stops (amber squares). Interactive: zoom and pan. Verify all planning controls and authoritative AC boundary at planning.vic.gov.au and vicplan.vic.gov.au. Sources: ABS ASGS SAL 2021 (absmapsdata); DTP Train & Tram Zone Activity Centre Program GC270 (2025); Leaflet/CartoDB Positron.

24,499

Population (ABS 2021)

Est. 25,872 at June 2024

41 yrs

Median age

Victoria: 38 yrs

$2,497

Median HH weekly income

Victoria: $1,759 (+42%)

52%

Bachelor degree or higher

Victoria: 29.2%

40.1%

Worked from home (Census day)

Victoria: 25.7%

10.53 km²

Suburb area

~6 km east of CBD

Kew occupies approximately 10.53 km² along the northern bank of the Yarra River, bounded by Hawthorn East to the southwest, Balwyn and Balwyn North to the east, Kew East to the southeast, and Ivanhoe and Alphington to the north. It sits within the City of Boroondara local government area, which recorded a Gross Regional Product of $14.74 billion in 2023-24 (City of Boroondara Council Economic Profile 2024 - sourced from ABS Business Register and ATO GST data).

The suburb's primary commercial node - Kew Junction - sits at the intersection of High Street and Cotham Road. It is one of four Activity Centres in Boroondara selected for new planning controls under the Victorian Government's Activity Centre Program (Plan for Victoria, February 2025). Tram routes 48 and 109 connect Kew Junction to the CBD via Hawthorn, with no train connection.

Population Growth & Demographic Mix

Population trend - Kew suburb

Period	Population	Change	Growth %	Source
2001	22,689	-	-	ABS Census 2001
2016	24,605	+1,916	+8.5%	ABS Census 2016, SSC21328
2021	24,499	−106	−0.4%	ABS Census 2021, SAL21336
2024 (est.)	25,872	+1,373	+5.6% (3 yrs)	ABS ERP June 2024

Note: 2006 and 2011 census population figures are not included because consistent SAL geography concordance across those periods cannot be confirmed without ABS time series concordance files. The 2001 figure uses ABS concordance from the 2021 time series mapping. Full intercensal trends are available via the ABS Census Time Series Profile tool at abs.gov.au.

Investment signal: The slight 2016-2021 decline (−0.4%) reflects the COVID-19 period and is consistent with inner-suburban patterns nationally. The rebound to 25,872 by June 2024 - an annual rate of +1.76% p.a. - confirms underlying demand. The 65+ cohort at 19.4% is above the Victorian average - a sustained driver of allied health and aged care demand.

Age distribution - Kew vs Victoria (ABS 2021)

Age group	Kew %	Victoria %	Kew vs Vic
0-14 years	15.1%	18.0%	−2.9 pp
15-29 years	20.8%	19.2%	+1.6 pp
30-49 years	23.7%	28.8%	−5.1 pp
50-64 years	20.2%	17.8%	+2.4 pp
65-74 years	10.1%	9.3%	+0.8 pp
75+ years	9.3%	7.5%	+1.8 pp

Source: ABS Census 2021, AGEP variable, SAL21336. Median age: Kew 41 · Victoria 38 · Australia 38.

Household & family composition (ABS 2021)

Household type	Kew %	Victoria %
Couple with children	46.6%	45.5%
Couple, no children	37.8%	37.6%
One-parent family	13.6%	15.2%
Lone-person household	26.0%	25.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, FMCF and HHCD variables, SAL21336.

Income, Wealth Profile, Workforce & Education

$1,120

Median personal weekly income

Victoria: $803 (+39%) [INCP]

$2,497

Median household weekly income

Victoria: $1,759 (+42%) [HIND]

$3,301

Median family weekly income

Victoria: $2,136 (+55%) [FINF]

43.8%

Households earning $3,000+/wk

Victoria: 24.2% [HIND]

39.5%

Dwellings owned outright

Victoria: 32.2% [TEND]

3.9%

Unemployment rate

Victoria: 5.0% [LFSP]

Income methodology note: ABS Census income is collected in ranges; medians are estimated using Survey of Income and Housing benchmarks. All income figures are weekly. Income data is based on place of usual residence.

Income trend - Kew vs Victoria (2016-2021)

Metric	Kew 2016	Kew 2021	Nominal change	Real change (CPI adj.)	Victoria 2021
Median personal weekly income	$923	$1,120	+21.3%	+6.4% real	$803
Median household weekly income	$1,960	$2,497	+27.4%	+11.8% real	$1,759

2016: ABS Census 2016, SSC21328, INCP / HIND. 2021: ABS Census 2021, SAL21336. CPI adjustment: ABS CPI 6401.0 All Groups Melbourne 2016-2021 (+14.0%). Kew's real household income gain of 11.8% confirms the purchasing power premium is widening relative to the Victorian average.

Occupation breakdown - employed residents (ABS 2021, OCCP variable)

Occupation	Kew %	Victoria %	Location Quotient
Professionals	41.6%	25.0%	1.66×
Managers	19.4%	14.0%	1.39×
Clerical & Admin	11.5%	12.4%	0.93×
Sales Workers	7.7%	8.3%	0.93×
Comm. & Personal Svc	7.7%	11.0%	0.70×
Technicians & Trades	5.5%	12.6%	0.44×
Labourers	3.3%	8.8%	0.38×

Location Quotient (LQ) = Kew % ÷ Victoria %. LQ > 1.25 indicates meaningful specialisation. See Appendix A for full LQ methodology.

Top industries of employment - residents (ABS 2021, INDP variable)

INDP records the employing enterprise's primary ANZSIC industry, not the occupation. Residents under "Hospitals" include clinicians, administrators and allied health professionals employed at hospital sites.

#	Industry	Kew %	Victoria %	Location Quotient
1	Hospitals (excl. psychiatric)	6.4%	4.6%	1.39×
2	Cafes & Restaurants	3.0%	2.4%	1.25×
3	Legal Services	2.8%	1.0%	2.80×
4	Computer System Design	2.7%	2.1%	1.29×
5	Accounting Services	2.6%	1.3%	2.00×

Method of travel to work - Kew residents (ABS 2021, MTWP variable)

Method	Kew %	Victoria %	Location Quotient
Worked from home	40.1%	25.7%	1.56×
Car (driver)	32.6%	42.8%	0.76×
Train	9.8%	12.6%	0.78×
Tram	5.2%	3.1%	1.68×
Bus	1.4%	2.3%	0.61×
Walked only	2.7%	1.8%	1.50×
Bicycle	1.4%	1.3%	1.08×

Percentages sum to less than 100% - some residents reported not working or were absent on Census night. Multi-modal journeys recorded by primary mode. Source: ABS Census 2021, MTWP, SAL21336. Investment signal: Kew residents are 1.56× more likely to work from home and 1.68× more likely to use trams than the Victorian average, and 24% less likely to drive. This generates a higher captive weekday patronage base for Kew Junction businesses than car-oriented suburbs.

Inner-east Melbourne peer comparison - ABS Census 2021

Comparative figures for Hawthorn, South Yarra and Camberwell are indicative, sourced from ABS Census 2021 QuickStats for the respective SAL geography. Verify at abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats before relying on specific values for planning purposes.

Indicator	Kew (SAL21336)	Hawthorn	South Yarra	Camberwell	Vic. avg.
Median HH weekly income	$2,497	$2,212	$1,987	$2,388	$1,759
Bachelor degree or higher	52.0%	51.2%	52.6%	48.3%	29.2%
Worked from home	40.1%	38.4%	37.2%	39.1%	25.7%
Aged 65+	19.4%	12.1%	6.8%	18.2%	16.8%
Chinese ancestry	16.2%	9.4%	8.1%	11.3%	6.6%
Non-govt secondary school	15.6%	14.1%	6.2%	17.4%	4.2%
Car (driver) mode share	32.6%	29.8%	21.4%	36.2%	42.8%
Train station	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	-

Reading this table: Kew has the highest household income in the inner-east peer group. Its unique structural position is very high income combined with no train station - which suppresses non-resident through-traffic while concentrating spending power within the resident catchment. Kew's aged population (19.4% aged 65+) is far higher than South Yarra (6.8%), creating a distinctly different service mix opportunity. Source: ABS Census 2021 QuickStats, respective SAL geographies (indicative).

Education attainment - residents aged 15+ (ABS 2021, HEAP variable)

Level	Kew %	Victoria %
Bachelor degree or higher	52.0%	29.2%
Diploma / Advanced Diploma	8.7%	9.8%
Year 12	14.3%	14.9%

School enrolment type - students (ABS 2021, TYPP variable)

Type	Kew %	Victoria %	Location Quotient
Non-government secondary	15.6%	4.2%	3.71×
Non-government primary	6.7%	3.0%	2.23×
University / higher ed.	26.8%	16.6%	1.61×

Non-government secondary enrolment is 3.71× the Victorian rate - a structural indicator of high parental investment in educational outcomes and sustained demand for tutoring, coaching and enrichment services.

Cultural Diversity, Housing & Kew Junction Catchment

Ancestry - top responses (ABS 2021, ANCP variable)

Ancestry	Kew %	Victoria %
English	29.1%	29.2%
Australian	23.8%	27.2%
Chinese	16.2%	6.6%
Irish	13.2%	9.4%
Scottish	9.9%	8.2%

Language spoken at home (ABS 2021, LANP variable)

Language	Kew %	Victoria %	Location Quotient
English only	70.3%	67.2%	1.05×
Mandarin	8.6%	3.4%	2.53×
Greek	3.0%	1.6%	1.88×
Cantonese	2.8%	1.3%	2.15×
Italian	1.7%	1.4%	1.21×

Dwelling structure & tenure (ABS 2021, STRD and TEND variables)

Category	Kew %	Victoria %
Separate house	50.5%	73.4%
Townhouse / semi-detached	23.6%	13.9%
Flat / apartment	25.6%	12.1%
Owned outright	39.5%	32.2%
Owned with mortgage	29.0%	36.1%
Rented	28.6%	28.5%

Average motor vehicles per dwelling: 1.7 (ABS Census 2021, VEHD, SAL21336; Victoria: 1.8). Of mortgaged households, 23.3% report mortgage repayments exceeding 30% of gross household income (ABS Census 2021, RNTRD/MRED, SAL21336).

Kew Junction catchment - 1.5 km radius (ABS 2021 TableBuilder)

Indicator	Value
Residents within 1.5 km	24,404
Workers within 1.5 km	15,957
Households earning $3,000+/wk	39%
Households earning <$800/wk	13%
Most represented age group	20-29 yrs (15% / ~3,635 residents)
Aged 60+ residents	23%
Born overseas (top 3: China, England, India)	29%
Couples with children (dominant HH type)	30%

Source: City of Boroondara - Kew Junction Customer Profile 2024, based on ABS Census 2021 TableBuilder Pro. The 1.5 km catchment is approximate and includes parts of adjacent suburbs.

Catchment Consumer Market - Estimated Annual Spend Capacity

The 1.5 km catchment around Kew Junction contains approximately 9,762 private dwellings (derived from ABS Census 2021 QuickStats SAL21336 - population of 24,404 ÷ average 2.5 persons per dwelling). At the catchment's median household weekly income of $2,497, total annual gross household income is approximately $1.27 billion (9,762 × $2,497 × 52 weeks). Applying the ABS Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2015-16 ratio of approximately 57% of gross household income directed to goods and services (excluding housing costs, taxes and savings), the estimated annual consumer expenditure available within the catchment is approximately $724 million. This is a conservative model - 39% of households earn $3,000+/wk, which structurally supports a higher effective expenditure rate on premium services.

~9,762

Est. private dwellings in catchment

ABS 2021, 1.5 km radius

~$1.27B

Est. annual gross HH income

Catchment total, median basis

~$724M

Est. annual consumer expenditure

57% HES ratio, ABS 6530.0

Methodology: dwelling count from ABS Census 2021 QuickStats SAL21336 (population ÷ avg. 2.5 persons/dwelling). Income × 52 weeks. Expenditure ratio from ABS HES 2015-16 (cat. 6530.0, Table 1). Estimates for planning purposes only - not financial projections.

SWOT Analysis - Business Investment Perspective

All government-data SWOT points are directly substantiated by cited sources. Points marked "Analyst judgment" represent professional assessment not derived from a government dataset.

Strengths

Median household income 42% above Victorian average ($2,497 vs $1,759/wk)ABS 2021, HIND, SAL21336
52% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher vs 29.2% statewideABS 2021, HEAP, SAL21336
41.6% of employed residents are Professionals (vs 25.0% Vic.) - LQ 1.66×ABS 2021, OCCP, SAL21336
40.1% worked from home on Census day - structurally elevated daytime economyABS 2021, MTWP, SAL21336
Legal services residents 2.80× Victorian rate; accounting services 2.00×ABS 2021, INDP, SAL21336
39.5% own home outright - low financial stress; high discretionary spend capacityABS 2021, TEND, SAL21336
Low unemployment (3.9% vs 5.0% Vic.); high voluntary work rate (19.1% vs 13.3%)ABS 2021, LFSP / VOLWP, SAL21336
Kew Junction selected under DTP Activity Centre Program - new planning controls confirm medium-term density upliftBoroondara EDS 2024; DTP 2025

Weaknesses

No train station - limits non-resident visitation; weaker after-hours economy than train-connected suburbsDTP public transport network
Extensive Heritage Overlays - constrain fit-out flexibility and increase approval timelinesBoroondara Planning Scheme via VicPlan 2026
High commercial rents reflecting premium land values - raises minimum viable revenue thresholdsAnalyst judgment - not derived from government data
Older demographic skew (median age 41) limits appeal for youth-oriented categoriesABS 2021, AGEP, SAL21336
1.7 motor vehicles per dwelling - many residents access the suburb by car, reducing spontaneous pedestrian spendABS 2021, VEHD, SAL21336
23.3% of mortgaged households pay 30%+ of income in repaymentsABS 2021, RNTRD/MRED, SAL21336

Opportunities

WFH population (40.1%) creates demand for co-working, premium all-day hospitality and business servicesABS 2021, MTWP, SAL21336
Chinese-Australian community under-served: 16.2% Chinese ancestry; 8.6% Mandarin at homeABS 2021, ANCP / LANP, SAL21336
Ageing population: 19.4% aged 65+ with high income base - allied health, aged care coordinationABS 2021, AGEP, SAL21336
Non-government school enrolment 3.71× Vic. rate - demand for tutoring and enrichmentABS 2021, TYPP, SAL21336
DTP Activity Centre Program for Kew Junction - increased density planned within 5-10 yearsDTP 2025; Boroondara EDS 2024
25.6% apartment dwellers (vs 12.1% Vic.) - under-supplied convenience retailABS 2021, STRD, SAL21336

Threats

High-income residents can access CBD, Camberwell and Hawthorn easily - loyalty must be earnedABS 2021, MTWP; DTP transport network
Established incumbent businesses with long community tenureAnalyst judgment - not derived from government data
Heritage and planning processes can delay commercial fit-out approvalsBoroondara Planning Scheme 2026; DTP PPARS Q4 FY2021-22
Online retail substitution: tech-literate, high-income professionals have highest digital purchasing ratesAnalyst judgment - not derived from government data
23.3% mortgage stress subset may constrain discretionary spend in a rate-sensitive environmentABS 2021, RNTRD/MRED, SAL21336

Viable Business Opportunities - Ranked by Demographic Signal Strength

OPP 01Allied Health & Specialist Medical ServicesVery High

Hospitals are the #1 resident industry (6.4% vs 4.6% Vic., INDP); 19.4% of residents are aged 65+ (AGEP); 14.9% provide unpaid disability assistance (UNCAREP); median age is 41. The suburb has a documented ageing-in-place dynamic with a high income base. Viable formats: physiotherapy, psychology, dietetics, occupational therapy, specialist GP, cosmetic medicine, preventative health. The concentration of health professionals as residents creates both a client pool and a referral network.

ABS 2021 - INDP, AGEP, UNCAREP variables, SAL21336

OPP 02Premium Hospitality & Specialty Food and BeverageVery High

Cafes and restaurants are the #2 resident industry (3.0% vs 2.4% Vic.); median household income is $2,497/week; 40.1% worked from home on Census day; 15,957 workers are within 1.5 km of Kew Junction. The WFH rate sustains all-day weekday demand independent of a CBD commuter economy. Viable formats: specialty coffee, wine bars, premium casual dining, health-focused lunch concepts, deli and providore, authentic Asian cuisine. City of Boroondara's Economic Development Strategy (adopted February 2024) explicitly targets visitor economy growth for Kew Junction.

ABS 2021 - INDP, MTWP, SAL21336 · Boroondara Kew Junction Customer Profile 2024 · Boroondara EDS 2024

OPP 03Professional & Business Services (B2B)High

Legal services residents are 2.80× the Victorian rate (INDP); accounting services 2.00×; 19.4% of employed residents are Managers (OCCP); computer system design (2.7% vs 2.1%) indicates a growing tech-professional cohort. City of Boroondara LGA GRP of $14.74 billion (Council Economic Profile 2024) provides a substantial local corporate economy. Viable formats: financial planning, virtual CFO, specialist HR consulting, executive coaching, bookkeeping, legal support services, IT managed services.

ABS 2021 - INDP, OCCP, MTWP, SAL21336 · City of Boroondara Economic Profile 2024

OPP 04Children's Education, Tutoring & EnrichmentHigh

46.6% of families are couples with children; non-government secondary school enrolment is 15.6% (3.71× the Victorian rate of 4.2%, TYPP); university attendance is 26.8% of enrolled students (vs 16.6% Vic.). Viable formats: selective school coaching (ACER, scholarship), VCE subject tutoring, music and performing arts academies, coding and STEM enrichment, second-language programs. The income base ($3,301 median family income/week) supports premium pricing. Demand is structural, not cyclical.

ABS 2021 - TYPP, HEAP, FMCF variables, SAL21336

OPP 05Wellness, Fitness & Lifestyle ServicesHigh

50-64 year cohort is 20.2% of the population (above Vic. 17.8%, AGEP); 26.0% lone-person households signal demand for service-based wellbeing (HHCD); voluntary work rate is 19.1% (vs 13.3% Vic., VOLWP) indicating a community-oriented lifestyle. WFH professionals represent a strong weekday morning and lunchtime cohort. Viable formats: boutique Pilates and yoga studios, personal training, skin clinics, mindfulness coaching, premium dry-cleaning and lifestyle support. Small-format boutique fitness (sub-200 sqm) with high per-session yield aligns well with Kew's commercial rent environment.

ABS 2021 - AGEP, VOLWP, HHCD variables, SAL21336

OPP 06Culturally Specific Services - Chinese-Australian CommunityMedium-High

16.2% Chinese ancestry (2.5× Victorian rate of 6.6%, ANCP); 8.6% Mandarin at home (2.53× Victorian rate, LANP); China is the 2nd-highest birthplace (6.6% vs 2.6% Vic.); Malaysia is 3rd (2.2% vs 1.0% Vic.), indicating a significant Chinese-Malaysian community. This demographic has an income profile consistent with the broader suburb - premium positioning is appropriate. Viable formats: bilingual legal, accounting and financial planning services; authentic Chinese restaurant formats (yum cha, regional Chinese); Chinese herbal medicine; culturally appropriate aged care coordination.

ABS 2021 - ANCP, LANP, BPLP variables, SAL21336

OPP 07Co-Working, Meeting Spaces & Remote Work AmenityMedium

40.1% of employed residents worked from home on Census day - 56% above the Victorian average (MTWP). Computer system design residents (2.7%) and professional services concentration indicate a workforce of remote knowledge workers. Viable formats: boutique co-working membership, private office suites, executive hot-desking, podcast and content studios, event space hire with AV facilities. Ancillary revenue from catering, networking events and B2B community programs creates additional income lines.

ABS 2021 - MTWP, INDP variables, SAL21336

Investment Considerations & Risk Assessment

Overall investment verdict: Kew presents a structurally strong business investment location for premium services, health and wellness, professional services, education and hospitality. Its demographic fundamentals are durable characteristics rather than cyclical conditions. The primary constraints are commercial rent levels, heritage overlay complexity and the absence of a train station - which together cap the addressable market for volume-dependent or youth-oriented formats. The most resilient investment categories are those with high revenue per transaction and low sensitivity to foot traffic volume.

Commercial rent & entry cost

High land values translate to elevated commercial rents. Sub-100 sqm formats with high per-transaction yield are better suited than large-format retail. Businesses should model minimum viable revenue per sqm before committing to lease terms. Heritage fit-out requirements can add 15-30% to standard build costs. Commercial vacancy rates for Kew are not available from government open data sources; readers should obtain this data directly from the City of Boroondara economic profile or a commercial property data provider.

Planning & heritage constraints

Kew has extensive Heritage Overlays. Permit timelines for commercial fit-outs can extend 3-6 months beyond standard processes. Council's Economic Development Strategy (adopted February 2024) signals a commitment to activating Kew Junction, which may support streamlined assessment for aligned uses - but heritage consultation remains mandatory under the Planning Scheme (VicPlan 2026).

Boroondara's permit refusal rate of 3.6% (DTP PPARS, Q4 FY2021-22) is among the higher rates in the inner-eastern peer group. PPARS data measures council-level permit decisions only - it is not a record of VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) appeals outcomes, which are reported separately. Average days to decision was approximately 150 days and only 53% of permits were decided within the 60-day statutory standard. Current PPARS data: reporting.ppars.planning.vic.gov.au.

Activity Centre Program - Kew Junction uplift timeline

The Victorian Government's Activity Centre Program (announced February 2025 as part of Plan for Victoria) has identified Kew Junction as one of four centres in Boroondara for new planning controls. The program's stated intent is to increase residential density around activity centres through precinct structure plans, design guidelines and upzoning. For commercial investors, this signals medium-term increases in residential population density and consumer catchment growth within walking distance of Kew Junction. New ground-floor retail and hospitality tenancies are typically required under activity centre design standards. Investors with longer time horizons may benefit from acquiring commercial tenancies ahead of the uplift cycle.

Source: DTP Activity Centre Program, Plan for Victoria, February 2025; City of Boroondara EDS 2024.

Competition & differentiation

Affluent Kew residents can easily access premium destinations in the CBD, Camberwell Junction and Hawthorn. A new business must offer a compelling reason to stay local: personalised service, category exclusivity, community relationship or convenience that larger precincts cannot match. Generic formats competing on price are not viable at Kew income levels - differentiation on quality and experience is the required positioning.

Summary Data Table - Kew vs Victoria (ABS 2021)

Indicator	Kew 2021	Victoria 2021	Kew vs Vic.	ABS variable
Population	24,499	6,503,491	-	Usual residence count
Median age	41 years	38 years	+3 years	AGEP
Median personal weekly income	$1,120	$803	+39%	INCP
Median household weekly income	$2,497	$1,759	+42%	HIND
Median family weekly income	$3,301	$2,136	+55%	FINF
HH income $3,000+/wk	43.8%	24.2%	+81%	HIND
Bachelor degree or higher	52.0%	29.2%	+78%	HEAP
Employed as Professionals	41.6%	25.0%	+66%	OCCP
Employed as Managers	19.4%	14.0%	+39%	OCCP
Worked from home (Census day)	40.1%	25.7%	+56%	MTWP
Car (driver) mode share	32.6%	42.8%	−24%	MTWP
Unemployment rate	3.9%	5.0%	−22%	LFSP
Dwellings owned outright	39.5%	32.2%	+23%	TEND
Motor vehicles per dwelling	1.7	1.8	−6%	VEHD
Apartment / flat dwellings	25.6%	12.1%	+111%	STRD
Chinese ancestry	16.2%	6.6%	+145%	ANCP
Mandarin at home	8.6%	3.4%	+153%	LANP
Non-govt secondary school	15.6%	4.2%	+271%	TYPP
Voluntary work rate	19.1%	13.3%	+44%	VOLWP
Unpaid disability care provision	14.9%	12.9%	+16%	UNCAREP

All percentages based on place of usual residence unless noted. "Usual residence count" is not a single ABS variable code - population totals are derived from the count of persons by usual residence enumeration. Source: ABS Census 2021, QuickStats SAL21336.

Place AU Investment Scorecard - Kew VIC 3101

Based entirely on government-sourced data - ABS Census 2021, ABS ERP 2024, DTP PPARS, Boroondara Planning Scheme. Not financial advice.

7.0_/10

Overall Investment Rating Kew scores strongly on demand fundamentals and moderately on supply conditions. Structural constraints - no rail access, heritage overlay complexity and high entry rents - impose a ceiling not present in train-served inner-suburban peers. The Activity Centre Program is the key medium-term catalyst.

Spending Power

Median HH income $2,497/wk (+42% Vic.); 43.8% earn $3,000+/wk

9 / 10

Demographic Quality

52% degree-qualified; 41.6% Professionals; 19.4% Managers (LQ 1.39×)

9 / 10

Daytime Economy Potential

40.1% WFH (LQ 1.56×); 15,957 workers within 1.5 km catchment

8 / 10

Population Growth Trajectory

+5.6% over 3 years to 2024; Activity Centre uplift signal

6 / 10

Infrastructure & Accessibility

Tram-served; no train station; car-dependent access; structural footfall ceiling

5 / 10

Planning & Entry Risk

Extensive Heritage Overlays; ~150 day avg. permit timeline; GRZ8 height caps

5 / 10

Kew scores strongly on demand fundamentals - spending power, demographic quality and daytime economy - and moderately on supply conditions. The scorecard ceiling is imposed by structural constraints: the absence of rail, heritage overlay complexity and high entry rents. These factors are fixed, not cyclical. Business models with high revenue per transaction and low floor-plate requirements score best against this profile. The DTP Activity Centre Program (2025) is the key medium-term positive catalyst that could shift the growth trajectory and planning risk scores over a 5-10 year horizon.

Appendix: Data Sources & Methodology

Source / Dataset	Publisher	Data used	Ref. date
ABS Census 2021 - QuickStats (SAL21336)	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Primary dataset: all suburb-level population, income, occupation, industry, education, language, ancestry, dwelling, tenure, household and health statistics. Geography: Kew (Suburbs and Localities, SAL21336).	Census night 10 Aug 2021; released June 2022
ABS Census 2016 - QuickStats (SSC21328)	Australian Bureau of Statistics	2016 population (24,605) and income ($923 median personal weekly; $1,960 median household weekly) for temporal and real income comparison. Geography: Kew VIC (State Suburb SSC21328).	Census night 9 Aug 2016
ABS Census 2001	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Historical population benchmark (22,689). Consistent geography applied via ABS suburb concordance.	Census night 7 Aug 2001
ABS Estimated Resident Population (ERP) - Suburbs and Localities	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Estimated resident population for Kew as at 30 June 2024 (25,872). ABS 3218.0 regional population series.	June 2024
ABS Consumer Price Index - 6401.0	Australian Bureau of Statistics	CPI inflation approximately 14% over the 2016-2021 period (All Groups, Melbourne), used in income trend real income calculation.	2016-2021
ABS Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2015-16 - cat. 6530.0	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Consumer expenditure ratio (~57% of gross HH income to goods and services), applied in Section 04 catchment spending power estimate.	2015-16
City of Boroondara - Kew Junction Customer Profile 2024	City of Boroondara	Catchment population (24,404 residents; 15,957 workers within 1.5 km), household income distribution, age profile. Source data: ABS Census 2021 TableBuilder Pro.	2024 (ABS 2021 base)
City of Boroondara - Economic Profile 2024	City of Boroondara	LGA GRP ($14.74 billion, FY2023-24). Sourced from ABS Business Register / ATO GST data.	2024 (FY2023-24)
City of Boroondara - Economic Development Strategy 2024	City of Boroondara	Council's strategic priorities for economic development (adopted 26 Feb 2024): activating activity centres; business growth; visitor economy.	Adopted February 2024
DTP - Victorian Activity Centre Program (Plan for Victoria)	Dept of Transport and Planning (DTP), Victoria	Kew Junction is in Stage 1 of the Train & Tram Zone Activity Centre Program. Planning controls formalised via Amendment GC270 (2025). The activity centre boundary shown on the map in Section 01 is indicative - derived from DTP plan documents. Authoritative GIS boundary: planning.vic.gov.au. Used in Sections 01, 04, 05, 07 and 09.	February 2025
Boroondara Planning Scheme - VicPlan	City of Boroondara / DTP	Heritage Overlay (HO) extent, Commercial 1 Zone (C1Z) and General Residential Zone Schedule 8 (GRZ8) controls. Accessed via vicplan.vic.gov.au.	Verified May 2026
DTP Planning Permit Activity Reporting System (PPARS)	Dept of Transport and Planning, Victoria	Boroondara permit refusal rate (3.6%), average days to decision (~150), % within 60-day statutory standard (~53%). PPARS records council-level permit decisions only - not VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) appeals outcomes, which are reported separately. Annual report Q4 FY2021-22.	Q4 FY2021-22

Methodology notes

Geography: Kew suburb data is drawn from ABS Suburbs and Localities (SAL) geography, code SAL21336. The 2016 comparison uses the aligned State Suburb (SSC) geography SSC21328. ABS applies small random adjustments (perturbation) to all cell values for privacy.

Population count: Total population figures are derived from the count of persons by usual place of residence. There is no single ABS variable code for total population; the figure reported in Section 08 is cited as "Usual residence count (ABS 2021 QuickStats)".

Income data: ABS Census income is collected in ranges; medians are estimated using Survey of Income and Housing benchmarks. All income figures are weekly. Real income comparisons adjust for Melbourne CPI (ABS 6401.0, +14.0%, 2016-2021).

Industry of employment: The ABS INDP variable records the employing enterprise's primary ANZSIC industry, not the occupation of the resident.

Work from home: The 40.1% WFH figure is from ABS Census MTWP on Census night (10 August 2021), which coincided with Victoria's COVID-19 Delta lockdown. Post-pandemic hybrid work patterns have been demonstrated in ABS Labour Mobility data to have permanently shifted above pre-2020 levels nationally.

PPARS and VCAT: DTP PPARS records decisions made by the responsible authority (council) on planning permit applications. VCAT is the permit appeals body and reports its outcomes separately. These are distinct bodies and datasets.

Commercial vacancy data: Commercial vacancy rates for Kew are not available from government open data sources and are excluded from this report.

Location Quotient (LQ) methodology

LQ = (Kew % of variable) ÷ (Victorian % of variable)

An LQ of 1.0 means the suburb matches the state average. LQ > 1.0 indicates above-average concentration; < 1.0 indicates under-representation.

Example: LQ of 2.80 for Legal Services means Kew residents are 2.8 times more likely to work in legal services than the average Victorian resident.

LQ values > 1.25 indicate a meaningful specialisation. Values > 2.0 indicate a strong cluster likely to generate local demand for related services.

This methodology is consistent with the approach used in ABS Labour Force regional analysis and DTP economic development frameworks.

Exclusions: This report does not use any data from commercial providers including CoreLogic, REA Group, PropTrack, Domain, NIEIR/Economy.id, .id (Informed Decisions), REMPLAN, SQM Research or similar. All commercial property price statistics, rental yield data and commercial rent benchmarks are excluded.

Peer comparison table (Section 03): Comparative figures for Hawthorn, South Yarra and Camberwell are indicative, sourced from ABS Census 2021 QuickStats for the respective SAL geography. Verify at abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats.

This report is produced for general information and business planning purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, planning, valuation or commercial advice. All data is drawn from publicly available government sources and is current as at the dates noted. Readers should verify all planning controls, zoning and overlay status against the current Boroondara Planning Scheme via VicPlan (vicplan.vic.gov.au) before making any investment or development decision. The report does not account for site-specific factors, market conditions or commercial feasibility. Independent professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained in this report. Government sources only.

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