Public spaces, sports and recreation

A bright future for Fishermans Bend

Published 1 July 2023

In 2024, we will continue to prioritise the future of Fishermans Bend!

Quick Summary

Fishermans Bend is an opportunity for our City and State but risks being underfunded and undersupported!
The Fishermans Bend Framework released in 2018 guides the delivery of significant open space, transport and infrastructure for the community, agreed through a collaboration between Council, the State Government, the Community and developers over many years.
In this Framework, the Australia Post site on Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne was determined as open space.
In 2023, after a series of meetings with the State Government on the future use of the site, the City of Port Phillip bid to purchase this land. Council was concerned that discussions had begun about the land being developed for different purposes.
In December 2023, Council was successful in purchasing the land, delivering critically needed open space and providing a site that has the potential for a sport and recreation precinct for our residents, now and into the future.
In 2024, Council will continue to prioritise Fishermans Bend and see that the Framework is honoured. The release of the Developer Contribution Plan will further guide the funding and support needed for the precinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2023, Australia Post identified that it would sell off its Port Melbourne Business Centre location and relocate nearby.
The 509 Williamstown Road site is adjacent to popular North Port Oval, and in the Fishermans Bend Framework, had been committed as open space.
In 2018, the Fishermans Bend Framework was established which outlined the open space, infrastructure and public transport connections that this area needs to be a future liveable community. This included transport tram links, a community hospital, a school and open space.
The City of Port Phillip expected the sale of this land to represent a significant investment into open space for Fishermans Bend.
After multiple failed requests to meaningfully discuss the future of this site, we became aware that the State Government was going ahead with a bid for the land for a possible school.
While Council welcomes the delivery of schools, we firmly believed that this should not be done on land that has been allocated to open space, but rather on land allocated for schools as per the government’s framework.
Council was successful in it’s bid for the Australia Post site.
The 15,000-square-metre site will become public space and a modern sport and broader recreation facility.
This future-proofing investment will allow the Fishermans Bend community to enjoy sport, walk their dogs or simply relax under a tree.
We want to create a special space that helps Australia’s largest urban renewal project live up to its amazing potential.
In 2024, having been successful in securing new open space for the Fishermans Bend precinct, we will look to the State Government for a genuine collaboration to ensure the future of Fishermans Bend.
With the release of the Developer Contribution Plan, which guides the future funding of this precinct, we will be closely monitoring future opportunities to work collaboratively with the State Government on the precinct.
We expect greater interest from the State Government on Fishermans Bend in 2024.
As we enter 2024, there continues to be minimal progress on promised developments, many having been previously announced for completion by 2025. It is this situation which led to our critical actions in 2023, and which will guide our interaction with government in 2024.
All residents can advocate on behalf of this area!
With an expected 80,000 additional residents, it’s important for all of us to expect the government invest in the infrastructure and projects needed for this precinct.
You can:
Write to your local Member of Parliament.
Email the Minister for Precincts Colin Brooks and request the State Government support Fishermans Bend. The Minister’s email address is: colin.brooks@parliament.vic.gov.au
Email the Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan and request the State Government support Fishermans Bend. The Premier’s email address is: jacinta.allan@parliament.vic.gov.au

Mayor Heather Cunsolo announcing council support to purchase the Australia Post site for open space. We are requesting State Government support in order for us to make this happen.

Port Melbourne Town Hall displaying the Borough colours ahead of the 2023 VFLW Grand Final.

Speech from our Mayor (30 July 2023)

It’s great to join you today to cheer on the mighty Borough as the Port women play in their first ever VFLW Grand Final, with an electric home ground atmosphere!

The City of Port Phillip is home to more than 120 different sporting clubs and this number continues to grow as we welcome the ongoing growth of women and girls participating in local sports.

We are proud of our continued investment into North Port Oval and the surrounding precinct to ensure this ground remains a premier sporting venue and the first choice for big events like today’s Grand Final, but with all this success, we are at capacity – this club and this venue is bursting at the seams.

Council recognises to support that growth we need more open space.

Open Space ensures communities are liveable for residents. Properly planned open space can offer economic benefits for traders, social benefits for dog walkers and families, health and wellbeing benefits for sports players and runners and environmental benefits for our municipality and our State. As you can tell, I’m passionate about open space.

And just across that boundary, we have an incredible opportunity in the Australia Post site.

That is why I am pleased to announce today that Council will make a significant financial contribution to purchase the Australia Post site to use for new open space.

However, importantly, we cannot do this alone – we need the State Government to join us to purchase this site.

The State Government’s own framework earmarked the Australia Post site for open space to be delivered between 2020 – 2025, which means now!

Please reach out to your local member of parliament - remind them of the importance of open space and what it means for your children, your friends, our local community.

Together we can make this work. We can deliver a great sporting ground that we can be proud of for years to come. This can be our contribution, our legacy for the decades ahead.

But now, back to the other priority at hand today… I wish to congratulate Port Melbourne on a fantastic VFLW campaign. I know the team will do us proud today and let’s hope they can bring home the silverware. Go Borough!