Wednesday, 4 March 2026

 David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (19:00): (2375) Maribyrnong is host to a large number of disused and derelict buildings and vacant land. Many are in strategically located sites with existing planning approvals, but instead of being converted into much-needed housing or community assets, years of neglect have left them as suitable homes only for vermin and targets for graffiti and vandalism. The impacts of long-term vacant and underutilised land on community safety, amenity, housing delivery and local economic activity have long been felt by its residents. The old Dimmeys and Forges building in the heart of downtown Footscray, a beautiful old building with a rich heritage, is a glaring example. Since its closure in 2009, it has been left to rot. Its roof leaks and masonry and broken glass carpet the floor. Centrally located next to shops and facilities, residents are forced to traverse this eerie and dangerous place as they shop for groceries, go to the bank or wait for the bus. It is but one of many such sites in Footscray, including the former Little Saigon market, which burnt down in 2016. Since its acquisition by developers, it has remained unused, other than as a site for illegal dumping. These sites are prime land in the Footscray CBD, 7 kilometres from the city. Residents want the owners of these abandoned sites to actually start converting them into much-needed housing and community amenities.

Maribyrnong City Council concede there is little that they can do beyond encouraging development. It has no statutory authority to compel development or require interim activation of privately owned land, with key legislative, planning and taxation powers instead held by, of course, the state government. These are not the sorts of sites that are generally captured by the vacant residential land tax, and this issue is not addressed by the recent major reforms to the Planning and Environment Act 1987. The action I seek is that the Minister for Planning initiate reforms to prevent land in designated activity centres from remaining vacant after planning permits are granted. These could include reining in excessively generous permit expiry terms and requiring interim activation where developments do not commence within a set timeframe.