Development

There are a number of developments taking place throughout Footscray, and we are working to improve infrastructure and the public realm throughout the suburb.  

Council understands that empty shopfronts and derelict buildings can have a negative impact on both the public realm and visitation to the area more broadly.  While we don’t control the private market or rents landlords charge potential tenants, we’ve been successful in obtaining a grant from Creative Victoria to develop a pilot program to activate empty shop fronts until they are leased out.  Work has commenced and activation opportunities will commence in August. Further details will be added to this webpage as the project progresses. 

We understand community members and businesses are keen for Council to compel landowners to demolish derelict buildings, however Council's powers in this space are very limited. Under the Building Act 1993 we can require landowners to demolish buildings when they are unsafe, but not when they look unpleasant.

We have been working with private landowners to provide temporary activation of their sites until they are ready to redevelop. We’ve had success in having the former Little Saigon Market (Byron Street) site and former Paint Spot site (Buckley Street) demolished, and we are working with the owner of the former Forges site (Albert Street) to commence demolition of their site.

Earlier this year, we wrote to the Minister for Planning to ask her to use her powers to call in the seventh extension of time request, which Council refused, for the former Forges site. The Minister declined this request saying that VCAT was the appropriate avenue for this request. Council calls on the State Government to urgently review planning laws to compel landowners to act upon their permit, or to require temporary activation until the landowner is ready to develop - we cannot act in isolation.