With its existing transport and community infrastructure, Footscray is in a good position to capitalise on Melbourne’s growing population and attract a large number of new residents and businesses. Likewise the trend towards denser, mixed use developments will continue to impact on Footscray, creating a change in the existing urban landscape. Footscray has close proximity and easy access to the Port of Melbourne. Footscray also has convenient access and excellent linkages to the Melbourne and Avalon Airports, which is important to professional business services sector and high value freight import export. In addition, the Port of Melbourne – Australia’s largest container port – is continuing to expand to meet growing demand for imported products and to service a larger population. This increase in freight will have a significant impact on the area and contribute to the changing nature of manufacturing and industrial activity in Footscray.
The Regional Rail Link and Westlink Project will provide significant economic opportunities in the next few years. Regional Rail Link is the largest rail infrastructure project in Australia that will provide capacity for thousands more passengers across the metropolitan and regional rail networks. The project will separate regional trains from metropolitan trains increasing capacity and reliability.
The proposed WestLink project would create a new route for heavy vehicles accessing the Port of Melbourne and provide a long-term alternative to the West Gate Bridge. The construction of this link would have major impacts on Maribyrnong’s largest industrial precincts.