School or sports field? State and council in ‘absurd’ bidding war over Fishermans Bend site
A key piece of land in Fishermans Bend has become part of a bidding war between the state government and the Port Phillip Council, in a spiralling drama with the AFL and Cricket Victoria that the council says is absurd.
The 1.54-hectare site at 509 Williamstown Road in Port Melbourne is owned by Australia Post and has been used as a parcel facility for 30 years. It sits adjacent to the North Port Oval – also known as ETU Stadium – which has been the home of the Port Melbourne cricket and football clubs for nearly 150 years.
Members of Port Melbourne Cricket Club at the North Port Oval. Credit: Wayne Taylor
There have been growing tensions between footballers and cricketers over access to North Port Oval as the popularity of AFLW increases. Port Phillip Council was relying on the Australia Post site being converted to open space to relieve the pressure on the ground and keep both clubs happy.
The site was earmarked in the Andrews government’s 2018 masterplan for Fishermans Bend to be open space – a document created in close consultation with Port Phillip Council.
But Australia Post has confirmed to The Age it is in “fairly well progressed” sale discussions with the Victorian Department of Education, which is seeking to fulfil a funding commitment in the latest state budget for a new school in Fishermans Bend by 2026.
The City of Port Phillip had responded by also putting in a bid to buy the site, Australia Post confirmed.
North Port Oval seen from above with the contentious site in the foreground.Credit: Getty
The council wants the state government to ditch its plans for the school in that location and jointly fund the establishment of open space that could accommodate both the sporting clubs and public use.
“It would be absurd for council and the state government to compete to purchase land,” said Port Phillip Mayor Heather Cunsolo.
“Council welcomes the delivery of schools but not on land that has been allocated to open space. The government’s framework has land allocated for schools, that is where the school should be located.”
If the state does purchase the site for a school, it will likely escalate a turf war between the cricket and football clubs and Port Phillip Council over who gets access to the council-run oval.
Port Melbourne Football Club chief executive Paul Malcolm said his club and the AFLW needed year-round access to North Port Oval, which it currently shares with the cricket club, adding the three-year-old VFLW team had to play the majority of games away in its first season.
“Ideally, we would have AFLW, VFLW and VFL and other community games through the year,” he said.
“The AFL have, for a long time, offered to put funding to this facility. It’s seen as a boutique ground – the AFL love to see it used. It’s big enough to get a decent crowd and small enough to look massively full on broadcast.”
But the 200-member Port Melbourne Cricket Club has hit back at the idea that they should be the ones to shift out in favour of AFLW, even if the council succeeds in stopping the site becoming a school. The cricket club recently penned a new three-year agreement with the council for the club to remain at the oval until June 2026.
“We want the best for our members – and the best scenario is we stay on the ground – it’s our spiritual home,” said the club’s president, Chris Sewell.
“We understand that women’s footy is growing and we’re happy to look at any proposals. We’re not about to give up 150 years of history and not come out of it better off for our community.”
Sewell also said the AFL had offered financial compensation to the cricket club to vacate the ground from September to November to accommodate AFLW games, which the cricket club had declined.
A council spokeswoman confirmed that the AFL had previously offered to contribute funds for “upgrading another ground for the purpose of relocating the Port Melbourne Cricket Club from North Port Oval”, but the council considered such discussions “premature”.
Paul Malcolm of Port Melbourne Football Club says the AFL loves to see North Port Oval in use.Credit: Jason South
The saga reflects a developing issue for councils across the state as pressure increases on open space and sports facilities as the population grows and female participation in many codes rises.
Cricket Victoria and AFL Victoria last year signed an agreement overseen by the state government, which dictates that cricket clubs have priority use between October and March and football teams have priority use from April to September. That agreement expires in March 2025.
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins said cricket clubs such as Port Melbourne were being put under pressure to move to accommodate AFLW because the AFL did not align the women’s season with the men’s.
“Long-standing community clubs that are part of the fabric of the local community are being asked to move for no other reason than to accommodate commercial interests,” Cummins said.
The AFL declined to comment.
The Australia Post site last sold in 1985 for $2.2 million. The value of the bids by council and the government is unknown.
A government spokesperson did not say why the government had chosen the Australia Post site for the school, but said it was “refining” the 2018 plans for Fishermans Bend – billed to house 80,000 residents by 2050.
“With an eye on the future, we’re continuing to refine plans for Fishermans Bend, including infrastructure, to ensure we can meet the needs of the community for decades to come,” they said.
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