ResidentialHarrison CaithnessFri 24 Jul 26
State Clears Way for Double Tower Project at Melbourne’s Arden
The Victorian government is moving ahead with plans to build 540 homes near North Melbourne’s Arden Station, despite council opposition.
Two towers of 24 and 37 storeys have been greenlit for a 5400sq m site at 189–203 Arden Street.
The state approved the Arden Village Group scheme through its Development Facilitation Program, which it said had expedited more than 12,000 homes across the state.
The project is one of the first development proposals for the Arden precinct since new planning controls were established in 2022, according to the City of Melbourne.
The city earlier this month took issue with the scheme’s proposed doubling of the Arden Precinct’s 81m discretionary height limit, expressed concern over overshadowing ofplanned parks and a lack of detail for the affordable housing component.
The original scheme the councillors were responding to proposed two towers of 28 and 44 storeys.
The towers would have comprised 619 apartments—including 93 affordable housing apartments, about 15 per cent of the total yield—and 2488sq m of retail space on the ground and lower ground floors.
Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said the city had worked with state government for 10 years on controls in the Arden precinct.
“Now it seems that they no longer apply,” he said.
“We are a pro-development council … but we don’t want to throw out the rule book.”
The city also took issue with a proposed $17 million exemption from the Arden Development Contributions Plan to fund local infrastructure, such as parks and streets.
It said the towers’ mix should be revised if the plan was approved to further the 45ha Arden urban renewal precinct’s goal of accommodating 34,000 jobs.
“Why did we throw a decade of ratepayer resources into [strategic planning] if it can be struck out at the will of one developer?” Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell said.
“This is a precinct at the start of its life cycle and so it is incredibly important that any departures from the agreed framework have a compelling justification.”
The state government has promised new pedestrian links to improve connections between Arden Street, Barwise Street and Laurens Street, as well as “extensive” bike parking facilities as part of the precint.
Residents would also have access to communal open space on terraces and rooftops.
