The Footscray Welcome Crew – visible, connected and place-based
Published on 22 April 2026
Council’s new place management and activation model will help position Footscray as a welcoming place for all.
Known as the Footscray Welcome Crew, it is designed to support a vibrant and prosperous activity centre by establishing a welcoming, on-street presence in the Footscray CBD.
The proposed Footscray Welcome Crew is grounded in asset-based community development principles and will focus on building trust, providing practical assistance and positive engagement.
It will play a practical role supporting place making outcomes through on the ground coordination, trader engagement, event delivery and community outreach.
The proposed Footscray Welcome Crew has been informed by ongoing conversations with key stakeholder groups, over 700 pieces of feedback in late 2025 and early 2026, as well as online engagement via Your City Your Voice.
We are now seeking feedback on whether we’ve got the model right.
The Footscray Welcome Crew will be delivered through five core elements:
- Awareness – understanding activity, movement and emerging issues
- Early identification – recognising issues before they escalate
- Trader and activation support – supporting business activity and public life
- Visible presence – a consistent on-street team in the Footscray CBD
- Connection to response – linking issues to the appropriate service or authority and ensuring they are addressed.
The Footscray Welcome Crew will contribute to a coordinated, respectful and proportionate response to vulnerability in Footscray, supporting Council’s place management objectives while recognising the essential role of specialist services and the broader homelessness response system.
“The name Footscray Welcome Crew is deliberate. It reflects Footscray’s identity as a place of arrival, exchange and belonging, and reinforces an approach that is welcoming, approachable and community‑focused. The aim is for the Footscray Welcome Crew to be visible, approachable, supportive and to help deliver better services into the precinct.” Mayor, Cr Mohamed Semra said.
View the proposed Place Management and Activation Model for the Footscray CBD and share your comments by midnight Sunday 17 May 2026 at yourcityyourvoice.com.au/footscray-cbd
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