text: WITHOUT the previous government’s contentious Melbourne 2030 planning document to refer to, VCAT has canned an ambitious proposal by the owners of South Yarra’s Fun Factory site to make the suburb’s tallest proposed skyscraper, even taller.
  The rejection means the main residential tower at the $150 million Capitol, South Yarra project (pictured, right) will rise “just” 38 levels and 133 metres.
  This would still make it the tallest residential building outside of the central inner-city, loosely defined to include Southbank, Docklands and, now that it will have its own skyscraper compound, Carlton. The Royal Domain Tower, at the Domain junction, rises 152 metres.
  VCAT approved a 38-level redevelopment of the Fun Factory in 2009. That approval will see a historic building at the north-west corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street demolished and replaced with a mixed use project including 7500 square metres of offices, 4400 square metres of retail space, 496 car parks, 120 bike spaces and 204 flats, in the proposed major skyscraper.