Vacant land adjoining West Footscray railway station could be sold to developers under a state government plan to help pay for station upgrades.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine last week revealed West Footscray was one of 10 railway station sites across Melbourne identified for selling.
Dr Napthine said the sales would deliver $1 billion in direct investment through a station precinct enhancement program.
“It will create more than 3000 direct project-delivery jobs, a further 5000 indirect jobs through construction and the potential to support more than 800 full-time commercial and retail jobs after project completion,” he said.
The potential West Footscray station development site is a 5000-square-metre area north of the rail corridor, next to Whitten Oval.
A spokeswoman for Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the site had the potential for residential, office and convenience retail use.
“This potential project will be investigated and, if commercially viable, released to the market in a controlled manner over the next three to five years,” she said.
“The site would still require Department of Transport and government approvals and consultation with the local council and community.”
Tony De Domenico, executive director of the Urban Development Institute of Australia Victoria, said the sooner the government could move on such projects the better.
“The opportunity to invest in projects such as the station precinct enhancement program, which should not be subject to long planning delays as the projects are supported by government policy, will be attractive to the property sector,” he said.
