By Pierre Vairo – Reimagining Old Footscray Hospital
Large swathes of public land in the western suburbs could be sold off to the highest bidder after an unexpected announcement from Liberal leader Jess Wilson, this includes the former Albion explosives factory, the East Werribee Employment district, and the Old Footscray Hospital site.
Ms Wilson’s announcement is the latest policy proposal for the 6.6ha Old Footscray Hospital site from the parties and candidates contesting the upcoming Victorian election.
The Liberals’ plan to sell off the land to repair the budget threatens a 100-year-old community connection to the site.
Volunteer advocacy group Reimagining Old Footscray Hospital (RoFH) has campaigned for a community-led vision for the site since 2022, continuing the long tradition of community advocacy on this land – local fundraising efforts beginning in the 1920s paid for the land and 50% of building costs after the government of the day refused to build a hospital in Melbourne’s working-class west.
RoFH proposes a mix of affordable medium density housing and parkland after public consultations with the inner-west community found strong support for both. Maribyrnong Council adopted an advocacy plan that aligns with RoFH in 2024, proposing 3.5ha of greenspace alongside 3-8 storey residential buildings, with 30% of the dwellings designated “social or affordable”.
In the lead-up to the Victorian election on November 28, RoFH asked the leading candidates for the seat of Footscray to state their intentions for the publicly owned land.
With three weeks left before polling day, the Greens’ Elena Pereyra and Climate 200-backed independent Jess Marsh have publicly stated their support for the Council’s advocacy plan.
The Greens’ Elena Pereyra has committed to funding the $21.3M price tag that Development Victoria has attached to their slimmed-down 3.24ha park, and a minimum 30% of dwellings on the site being public housing.
Ms Marsh has also stated a preference for public housing, and is clear that she supports Council’s and the community’s advocacy for the site, including remediation of the heritage-listed psych building and its transfer to Maribyrnong Council for community use like the popular Abbotsford Convent precinct.
In the wake of Ms Wilson’s announcement, Footscray MP Katie Hall has taken to social media expressing her dismay at the Liberals’ plan to sell the land, stating that “only Labor has a plan to protect this site”. Labor’s plan includes 124 social homes, 291 for first home buyers and a plan for a “major 3.24 hectare park”. Ms Hall’s office clarified her plan with RoFH stating that of these three commitments only the plan for first home buyers is funded. Commonwealth support is being sought for the social housing component, the park remains unfunded and without a timeline.
The Liberals’ Dr Tim Chang told RoFH that “parklands would be great” and “would make commercial sense” for a developer intending to maximise their profit from the land. Dr Chang was unable to provide RoFH with the Liberal party’s formal position for the site by this article’s deadline.
One Nation candidate Alexander Lopez did not respond to RoFH’s calls or emails by deadline; a search of Mr Lopez’s social media account shows no policy statements on the hospital site.
Should the Liberals, as polling suggests, win government in November, the future of the hospital site will be at the discretion of a future Premier and Treasurer Wilson. It would be left to Premier-Treasurer Wilson to balance the needs of the Footscray community with her stated desire for budget repair.
Whoever forms government, we at RoFH will continue to campaign that the people of Footscray deserve quality homes and parks on our land.
