Approved projects to add 4,000 meters of height to Melbourne skyline

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-28 09:28:07|Editor: Liangyu
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MELBOURNE, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Melbourne's skyline is set to grow 4,000 meters in the near future, it was revealed on Wednesday as the city continues to set the pace for creating jobs in Australia.

The Victorian state government has approved 26 major projects within the Central Business District (CBD) of Melbourne in the last 12 months with a combined value of 3.9 billion U.S. dollars.

More than 21,000 new apartments were approved as well as 800 hotel rooms, adding an extra 4,331 meters to the city's skyline.

The latest RLB Crane Index, released on Wednesday, found that crane activity in Melbourne was up 8 percent in the April-June quarter as more than 25 percent of all cranes operating in Australia were perched above Melbourne.

Richard Wynne, Victoria's Planning Minister, said Melbourne was leading Australia in jobs growth with more jobs created in Victoria in the last 12 months than every other Australian state combined.

"It's little wonder nearly a quarter of Australia's cranes are in Melbourne and its suburbs," Wynne told Australian media on Wednesday.

"More cranes in the sky means more jobs and a stronger economy."

"This isn't just about our pipeline of infrastructure projects, it's about creating a strong environment to do business and invest, and the corporate sector is responding."

Two of the approved developments, One Queensbridge tower and Australia 108, will be Australia's two tallest buildings when completed at 323 meters and 319 meters tall respectively.

David Davis, a planning spokesperson for the Victorian Opposition, accused Premier Daniel Andrews of trying to cram people into Melbourne.

"Labor's failure to plan is making Melbourne more congested and they are not providing basic services like schools and open space," Davis said.

"It's all very well for Daniel Andrews and Mr. Wynne to arrogantly carry on with how many more people are coming here, but the fact is families are struggling, energy prices are surging, and transport is chaotic.

"Very few families are more wealthy since Daniel Andrews came to power."

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