Melbourne's most densely populated suburb, Southbank, is set to become even more crowded, with a 597 apartment tower approved for the booming inner-city area.
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Planning Minister Richard Wynne has signed off on Central Equity's 159-metre, 52-storey skyscraper, on the corner of Kavanagh and Power streets.
The future tower is on a block that will become one of the city's most populated, with another seven high-rises of more than 62 metres built or approved in the immediate vicinity, including the mammoth Australia 108 skyscraper.
The Central Equity L-shaped building at 54-68 Kavanagh Street was originally opposed by Melbourne City Council planners.
The $170 million project was not voted on by councillors due a conflict of interest triggered by the lord mayor Robert Doyle, his team of four and Cr Ken Ong accepting election donations from Central Equity or their staff.
However council officers argued on their behalf that the tower, by virtue of its height and width, would have an "overwhelming impact on the built scale of the immediate environs".
The approved tower has 123 fewer apartments than originally planned.
Mr Wynne also introduced conditions requiring the developer improve the layout of the units, including removing "saddleback" window corridors in bedrooms.
The tower has 167 one-bedroom apartments, 339 two-bedroom apartments, 89 three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom apartments.
"This development has a good variety of apartment sizes, and having more three and four-bedroom apartments in the city will help to house the growing number of families wanting to live centrally," the minister said.
Mr Wynne has now approved 23 towers this year and the total value of CBD major construction approvals has reached $4 billion over the same period.
Southbank remains Melbourne's densest suburb, with 8900 people per square kilometre.
