By Charlene Gatt
ONE in two City of Maribyrnong residents do not shop in Footscray’s central business district, a council retail study has revealed.
The Footscray Retail Study found that Footscray’s CBD plays second fiddle to Highpoint, Sunshine Plaza and Altona Gate Shopping Centre, with only 48 per cent of sales coming from locals.
“Footscray cannot rely on expenditure (from outside the immediate area). As shopping centres (in these outer areas) improve their retail offerings and better meet the needs of their residents, it is likely that this market share for Footscray will fall over time,” the report read.
The council is keen to revamp the area by creating more car parking, consolidating existing floor space, attracting another supermarket south of Paisley St and upgrading Maddern Square.
Councillor Michael Clarke said Footscray needed to return to its retail heyday of the 1950s and ’60s.
“We’ve got to see Footscray move from what it is today. It has not transformed quickly enough. We as a community want to see Central Business District Footscray as a vibrant and dynamic economic place,” he said.
“We want to see it as the place of choice when it comes to a shopping experience.”
But Footscray Traders’ Association president Grant Miles said it was the council’s fault that trade had plummeted.
Mr Miles said the council had driven traders away with its parking cameras and by failing to get rid of drug deals and drug users around Footscray.
“I don’t think it’s (the study) going to help. It’s a waste of time and a waste of money.”
