Melbourne's Sunshine considered new home of nation's first Vietnamese museum, following planning dispute

Melbourne's Brimbank Council has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnamese Museum Australia (VMA), potentially leading to the establishment of its museum in the suburb of Sunshine. The MoU announcement comes after the museum rescinded its contract with Maribyrnong City Council.

In 2020, plans for the VMA to be established at 222 Barkly Street in Melbourne's Footscray, Maribyrnong City Council, were unveiled. A four-storey building designed by Konzepte Melbourne had been proposed to house the museum, with plans revealing a lobby, exhibition space, multi-purpose events space, a shrine and memorial garden, and the creation of a pedestrian link connecting Donald Street to Hugh Street.

A planning permit was issued by the Maribyrnong City Council in mid-2022, before a subsequent amendment application was lodged by the VMA to remove a condition that required the VMA and the adjoining landowner to the south to reach agreement regarding the relocation of loading facilities. The amendment application was refused by council in mid-2023, which resulted in the VMA lodging an appeal with Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against council's refusal.

Plans for the museum to be sited at 222 Barkly Street were later abandoned. Today, the VMA is looking at Sunshine as the new destination for the cultural museum, with Brimbank Council now having entered a MOU with the museum.

In a communique released by the Brimbank Council, it stated the new museum "could potentially be located on part of the council-owned Durham Road car park site," however, any decision to sell part of the land would be "subject to community engagement and a subsequent decision at a future council meeting."

If the land is approved for sale, Konzepte Melbourne's original plans will once again be proposed. The building's design incorporates elements from both Vietnamese and Australian culture, with a wave-like facade representing the journey overseas, and bamboo exterior details symbolizing the use of bamboo as a main construction material in Vietnam. A warm and earthy colour palette has been proposed to reference Australia's red-coloured soil.

The VMA is anticipated to be Australia's first museum dedicated to preserving and telling the story of the Vietnamese refugee settlement in Australia.

Brimbank Mayor Ranka Rasic said Sunshine has strong ties to Vietnamese community and history, with about 32,000 of Brimbank's residents or about 17 per cent of the total population being of Vietnamese descent.

"The longstanding and vibrant Vietnamese community that makes up the Sunshine CBD of today has helped make it a regional destination to experience authentic Vietnamese food, street life and culture," Rasic said.

The VMA has acquired a total of $18 million in funding, including $10 million in federal funding, $7 million in state funding, and $1 million in community funding.

Council will be seeking community feedback on the proposed sale of council land between Monday 22 January and Monday 19 February 2024.