Funding is proposed for a range of landscape and amenity works to improve the look and feel of, and accessibility to, the Joseph Road precinct. Works will include fresh landscaping, new subsurface drainage, fresh asphalting of road surfaces, installation of new shared use paths to connect pedestrians and cyclists with Footscray and the Maribyrnong River Trail.

The redeveloped community pavilion at Henry Turner South Pavilion in Footscray will provide modern universally designed unisex facilities accessible to people of all abilities. A new, large multipurpose social space, a meeting room, commercial kitchen and four large change rooms with gender neutral amenities will be provided to support local competitions. Works are already underway and proposed funding will support completion in early 2023.

Proposed funding will support early works on the new civic complex that will see the renovation of the iconic Town Hall building before it is returned to the community, along with a new outdoor open space, for activation and use. A new six-star Green Star civic administration building will also be constructed using leading environmentally sustainable building practices that will lead to lower operating and utilities costs, fewer greenhouse gas emissions and improved health and wellbeing of occupants.

Two new water slides and an interactive aquatic leisure area are being added to the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre as part of a waterslide and splash park redevelopment, jointly funded by State Government. With $7 million committed in this financial year of the $8 million initiative, the new leisure areas will provide activities for people of all ages and abilities, and will expand on the recently upgraded facilities at the Centre. Funding is proposed to support completion in early 2023.

NeXT: Footscray Library, Community and Cultural Hub is a proposed new learning, community and cultural arts space for the west, to be located in the Footscray CBD. It would provide our growing and diverse community with a new library, community spaces, performing arts space, office spaces, green open space and exhibition and gallery spaces for community use. The funding proposed is to support schematic design.

With Harris Street becoming a one-way entry, the plan is to redevelop Cowper Street in Footscray to make it safer and more accessible for all users, with improvements to the road pavement, car parking and line marking. New landscaping, footpaths, public lighting, rainwater gardens and trees are also proposed for the redevelopment which coincides with the Westgate Tunnel’s Project’s new cycling and pedestrian bridge over Whitehall Street which will link Yarraville Gardens and the Maribyrnong River.

New transport infrastructure for Braybrook including footpaths, shared used paths for pedestrian and cyclists, bicycle lanes and safe pedestrian crossings would benefit from proposed funding to support safe active modes of transport – like walking and cycling –through the suburb. There would also be connections to other infrastructure throughout the City and trails like the Maribyrnong River Trail.

Upgrades at Hansen Reserve in West Footscray – a large recreational open space with sporting fields for AFL and cricket – has been allocated proposed funding to improve the quality of the current playing surfaces to enhance local sporting competitions and community use, with new lighting around the ground perimeter to support night time use.