property
Community Opposition to South Melbourne Development: Both Sides Explained
A proposed 15-storey tower at 45 Coventry Street has drawn 87 formal objections from residents who fear it will overshadow the South Melbourne Market and strain local traffic.
How we reported this
Residents near Coventry Street filed 87 objections by July 1 against a 15-storey mixed-use tower that would add 212 apartments and ground-floor retail at 45 Coventry Street.
The timing follows a June 28 council briefing on the Emerald Hill Precinct plan, which sets height limits for the area around the South Melbourne Market. Property values have climbed sharply, with the median apartment price reaching $920,000 in June 2026, according to local sales records. Developers see the site as underused land that can meet demand for new housing close to the Clarendon Street tram corridor.
The project sits one block from the South Melbourne Market on Cecil Street and across from the Bank Street playground. The South Melbourne Residents Association has coordinated submissions that highlight blocked winter sunlight on market stalls and extra cars turning onto Clarendon Street during peak hours.
Developer arguments
Project documents submitted to council state the building will include 42 apartments priced under $650,000 and will create 180 construction jobs over two years. The design incorporates a 1,200-square-metre public plaza facing Coventry Street, which the applicant says will extend the market's outdoor trading area on weekends. Traffic modelling projects an extra 92 vehicle movements per hour at the Clarendon Street intersection, below the threshold that triggers major road upgrades.
Resident concerns
Objectors counter that the tower exceeds the 10-storey limit recommended in the 2024 Emerald Hill heritage review and will cast shadows across 60 per cent of the market's open courtyard between 11am and 2pm in winter. They point to existing congestion at the Clarendon Street tram stop, where peak-hour queues already extend onto the footpath, and argue the added density will worsen parking shortages around the Bank Street playground.
The next step is a public hearing scheduled for August 15 at the South Melbourne Town Hall, where councillors will decide whether to approve the application or require further amendments.
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