Footscray Wharf and Promenade Projects

The Footscray Wharf Redevelopment project was completed in June 2022 with the following upgrades to the area.

• New timber boardwalk with a fixed lower landing and floating pontoon to provide access to the water.
• Wider pedestrian promenade connected to the Maribyrnong River Trail with lighting. 
• Additional seating spaces, and sheltered picnic and barbecue areas.
• Palm tree plantings alongside the boardwalk.
• Embankment of the river has been stabilised and protected.

The unsealed car park at the end of Saltriver Place, Footscray has been transformed into a new public open space.

Council endorsed the project in June 2023, with the aim to enhance community amenities and promote active and passive recreational opportunities.

The works included:

• Resheeting at the termination of Saltriver Place.
• Improved drainage works to the road reserve.
• Installation of a footpath connection. 
• Converting the gravel car park into a passive open space lawn area. 
• Garden bed planting to the interface with residences. 
• The installation of bollards.
• Tree planting.
• The installation of a picnic table.

A contemplative seat was developed by the Blacksmith’s Festival Association and installed in November 2025. 

The seat is located between the raised garden beds beside the wharf deck and included landscaping at the seating location. 

In 2018, the space underneath Hopkins Street Bridge in Footscray, was transformed into to a colourful recreational plaza featuring a towering climbing wall and exercise equipment.

The climbing wall, which stands at four metres high, and plaza were designed in collaboration with the Victorian Climbing Club. The space aims to encourage people to try out bouldering without requiring a harness and spend more time doing physical activity outdoors.

The climbing grips on the wall are set in varying levels of difficulty, with the goal being to traverse the wall using just one colour route. This ensures the wall caters for the advanced climbing community in Melbourne’s inner west, as well as encouraging beginners to try it out.

New lighting was connected during 2025 and provides extended hours of use of the climbing wall. 

A new public toilet will be installed at Footscray Wharf to encourage greater use of the promenade and gathering spaces. The main components of the project are:

• Adaptive reuse of a shipping container to include two ambulant and one accessible toilet.
• Custom raised decking and shelter.
• Services connection (electrical + plumbing) to the public toilet.
• Surrounding landscaping and seating.
• Wayfinding signage.
• Functional and feature lighting.
• Removal of bluestone, rubble and contaminated soil on site.
• Stabilisation and preservation of heritage bluestone wall. 

Connected off street pathways for cyclists and pedestrians in Grimes reserve in line with the Bunbury Street Improvement Plan.

The Shared User Path in Grimes Reserve will extend the existing path and connect Maribyrnong Street and Moreland Street. It will create an improved access path for cyclists connecting to the Maribyrnong river trail.

The project scope includes:

• Extension of the existing pavement in Grimes Reserve to Maribyrnong Street.
• New raised crossing across Maribyrnong Street and new raised crossing across Moreland Street.
• The new Shared User Path to be 3m wide.
• Expected project cost $180,000.