The Hon Matthew Guy MLC

Minister for Planning

Minister for Multicultural Affairs & Citizenship
Visit www.premier.vic.gov.au for more news
Media release

Tuesday 3 June , 2014

Five towers and 1,000 units approved in central Melbourne

751 apartments in a four-building Footscray project
249 apartments in a new tower on Haig St, Southbank
Hundreds of construction jobs to flow from $270 million investment

One thousand apartments in central Melbourne have been approved by Planning Minister
Matthew Guy, providing a boost to the high rise residential construction sector.
The residential construction sector in Victoria is proving very resilient, Mr Guy said.

These central city apartments are vital to meeting the residential needs of our growing
population; around 2,000 Melburnians will live in these apartments eventually.

With Victoria growing at a record rate, including record numbers of babies being born, it is
important we cater for all kinds of housing growth.

Whether planning for land supply in suburban growth areas, for urban renewal precincts or
for central city high rise apartments, we need to keep building enough homes to keep the
market affordable, Mr Guy said.

The last thing we need in Victoria is a housing shortage like the one Sydney is experiencing.

The projects in Footscray and Southbank are located in the expanded Central City area,
slated for major population growth under the new metropolitan strategy, Plan Melbourne.

The project at 2 Hopkins St, Footscray is located in the Joseph Road Precinct, rezoned for
high density development in 2009. It will include 751 apartments in four buildings ranging in
height from 16 storeys to 28 storeys, and will have ground floor retail uses as well as open
space landscaping.

The project at 57 Haig St, Southbank will be 38 storeys (122 metres) tall and will include 249
apartments. It is located 100 metres from the Clarendon Street tram and just 700 metres from
the planned Fishermans Bend (Montague) railway station at the junction of Montague St and
the Route 109 tram line.

The combined value of the two projects is $270 million and they will generate around 1,890
construction jobs.

Media contact: Rochelle Jackson 0419 872 538 rochelle.jackson@minstaff.vic.gov.au