Flood Risk Washes Away Southbank Tower Plans

Flood-risk concerns have nipped plans for a 25-storey apartment tower next to the Crown Melbourne in the bud. 

Melbourne Water refused to support LAS Group’s proposal for the highrise at 36-42 Clarke Street, Southbank, due to the risk.

“Melbourne Water determined the land is subject to flooding from multiple sources, including the Yarra River, and the site has the potential to expose a large number of people to a significant flood hazard,” a Melbourne Water spokesperson said.

The refusal meant City of Melbourne planning officers could not approve the application.

LAS Group filed plans for the site in March of 2024 comprising 188 one and two-bedroom apartments. 

The FK Architects-designed plans also included a lower ground floor with pool, parking areas and storage for more than 200 bicycles. 

LAS outlined in its application that the tower ground floor was 2.5m above street level to allow flood mitigation due to the site being within the Southbank flooding zone. 

The 21,957sq m project was expected to cost $70 million to build.

▲ A FK Architects rendering of the proposed tower at Southbank.

Objections raised about the project have not been made public as the project did not fall within criteria for the council planning committee, the Future Melbourne Committee, to make a final decision. 

Melbourne Water confirmed it had met with LAS Group several times over the proposal.

However, it said, it had deemed there was too much uncertainty in the proposed response that might lead to an evacuation or a Shelter in Place emergency response, the latter of which is not a supported response to flood events. 

LAS Group was contacted for comment for this report.