But Planning Minister Wynne has put in protections to stop the Shrine of Remembrance being overshadowed, adding to rules put in place by his predecessor Matthew Guy.

In the past decade, the number of residents living along St Kilda Road has jumped by more than 50 per cent.

The new planning rules, to be put in place this week, include more mandatory height limits that give developers more certainty about what is allowed to be built.

The planning laws apply to land on and around St Kilda Road, from the Shrine of Remembrance down to St Kilda Junction.

They include tougher rules on setting buildings back from each other by nine metres, to ensure privacy and adequate access to daylight in new tower developments.

Mr Wynne said that, under the new rules, all new developments around St Kilda Road and the Shrine would need to enhance the area.

The new rules include:

• Maximum mandatory building heights across most of the precinct, the highest around 30 levels, and discretionary height controls in some areas
• Tougher rules on tower spacing, building setbacks and landscaping requirements
• Overshadowing controls to remain in place for MacRobertson's Girls School - but a removal of overshadowing rules for Wesley Junior College

Opposition planning spokesman David Davis said that the changes appeared to favour those whose properties were in the Labor-held seat of Albert Park. Meanwhile those in the Greens-held seat of Prahran had higher height limits, he said.

"It appears Martin Foley's seat [of Albert Park] has been treated more favourably than the Prahran section" of St Kilda Road, which is held by the Greens, he said.

"It's all very well to build massive density into these areas, but you need to have proper plans in place and I see no evidence of that," Mr Davis said. "It leaves me with the distinct impression that those in Prahran are being punished for not voting Labor."