Tuesday, 7 March 2023

 Katie HALL (Footscray) (13:14): This week I wrote to Maribyrnong council about an issue of importance to the people of Footscray. The practice of land banking, which is allowing development sites to become derelict eyesores in Footscray’s CBD, has gotten to the point of crisis. The old Forges site and the Little Saigon market were once proud institutions and attractions for Footscray. Today they stand as bombsites in central Footscray. Once developers have been granted permits, they have sat on them and done nothing. They have done nothing to develop these sites, and over time they have deteriorated and become derelict. Ultimately, these sites will need to be demolished for the permits to proceed, and today I am calling on these landowners to complete the basic but important work to improve safety and urban design in the centre of Footscray. If the sites were cleared, it would allow council to activate them in a way that would be beneficial to the community, such as by creating a pocket park, a temporary marketplace or creative spaces. The community is entitled to a public realm that is clean, safe and well lit at a minimum. If the owners of these sites are going to sit on permits for years, they should be required to clean up the sites and work with council on providing a public realm improvement in the interim. Residents have been waiting for years for these sites to be cleaned up. Surely, if the developers will not do the right thing, these permits should not be renewed. We all know that poor planning decisions have lasting impacts, and in Footscray we have the lasting impact of former planning minister Matthew Guy shamefully allowing developers free rein.