Converting a historic orphanage in Surrey Hills to housing would be “unlawful” for a council to approve, but it’s a test case for the state government’s appetite to back medium and high-rise developments outside designated activity centres.

Converting a historic orphanage in Surrey Hills to housing would be “unlawful” for a council to approve, but it’s a test case for the state government’s appetite to back medium…

This neighbourhood in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs isn’t within a state-designated activity centre area, where high-density development is encouraged to address the housing crisis.…