Jennifer Pittorino
Footscray residents have emerged victorious following Maribyrnong’s latest council meeting, with the announcement that a controversial granite path will be removed.
In their meeting on Tuesday, March 26, Maribyrnong councillors decided to cease construction of the granite path, after the tabling of a petition.
As previously reported by Star Weekly, Friends of Footscray Park first expressed disapproval of the walking track in February.
Work had begun on the track without community consultation or being included in the Western Lawn master plan, causing confusion about council’s commitment to the park’s history and the plans for restoring the park.
Friends of Footscray Park member Maree Pardy said the petitioners and community were pleased with the outcome.
“We really look forward to working with council now. We are really grateful to the councillors for reflecting on what happened and the process as well as the outcomes,” she said.
“We are really grateful for their commitment to Footscray Park as a public park for the people.”
In the meeting councillor Sarah Carter raised the notice of motion saying council must commit on a number of points to display respect for the community consultative process, the integrity of Footscray Park as a ‘historic people’s park’ and external impacts on the park since 2019.
Cr Carter said there had been a failure of process internally and the path went against the social licence and the social contract that council created with the community following the master plan for the park.
“Any discussions of that path should have been included in those community consultations that were undertaken,” she said.
“So there is a process that has a review that’s being undertaken to ensure that that doesn’t happen again.”
In addition to ceasing work on the track, council also guaranteed the priority of general public use of the park, restricted the use of the Western Lawns to overflow use by community sports clubs and ordered a review and update of the 2011 Masterplan to further consult with the community on any additional proposed changes, including lighting, tracks/paths, the playground and north-western corner of the western lawn, while establishing a Footscray Park Advisory Committee.
