Last week, Melbourne had reportedly grown to 4million residents and was projected to reach 5million by 2026.

Meanwhile, projections from an intergenerational study released by the Federal Government this month showed Australia's population would hit 35million in 2049.

By that time Melbourne's population would be more than

6million.

According to the State Government's Victoria in Future 2008 projections, south east Melbourne could swell from

280,795 in 2006 to more than half a million people by 2026. Projections show that Monash could grow from 169,829 residents in 2006 to about 193,650 in the following 20 years.

Monash Mayor Paul Klisaris said the council had been care

fully monitoring population growth issues and continued to encourage the State Government to redevelop seven vacant school sites in the municipality for resi

dential purposes.

He said residents could expect a continuation of the housing trends including the development of dual occupancy and multi-unit buildings to spread through the municipality with an increase in larger high-density housing in and around activity centres.

Cr Klisaris said infrastructure and community services would be delivered to the growing population as a ``matter of priority''.

Dr Bob Birrell, director of Monash University's Centre for

Population and Urban Research, said it was possible that centres like Monash could provide additional services and jobs for the expanding population.