In short:
Wyndham City has terminated its Development Agreement with Western Melbourne Group for the Wyndham Stadium Precinct, a day after Western United was cut from the A-Leagues. Council says all land in the precinct, including Ironbark Fields, remains in its ownership as it plans a new path forward.
Agreement Officially Terminated
Wyndham City has terminated its Development Agreement with Western Melbourne Group for the Wyndham Stadium Precinct, ending a partnership signed in February 2024 to deliver a major sporting and entertainment precinct in Tarneit.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday in a statement attributed to Wyndham City Director Corporate Services Mark Rossiter, who said Council had been left with no alternative after months of unresolved breaches.
“In June, Wyndham City issued a Default Notice to the Western Melbourne Group for its failure to deliver the Wyndham Stadium Precinct in line with the existing Development Agreement, as well as ongoing insolvency events,” Mr Rossiter said.
“The Western Melbourne Group was subsequently given an opportunity to rectify these issues, but has failed to do so.”
“This constitutes a serious breach of the Development Agreement and as a result, Wyndham City has today terminated the agreement with the Western Melbourne Group to develop the Wyndham Stadium Precinct,” he said.
Years of Defaults and Financial Trouble
The termination caps a turbulent 18 months for the project. Western Melbourne Group, the former owner of Western United, was placed into liquidation in a Federal Court hearing in August 2025, and later won a temporary stay on the winding-up order while it pursued an appeal.
Council gave the developer further room to recover, but in June rejected a bid from Western Melbourne Group to renegotiate the terms of the Development Agreement, warning the proposal would increase risk to ratepayers, and placed the developer in default.
“While this is not the outcome we had hoped for when we entered the agreement, we have a responsibility to make decisions that serve the best interests of our ratepayers, and the decision to terminate this agreement reflects that commitment,” Mr Rossiter said.
Ratepayers and Land Remain Protected
Council has repeatedly stressed that ratepayers carry no financial exposure from the collapse of the arrangement, pointing to an independent review of the contracts.
“We want to continue to assure the community that Council and ratepayers remain completely protected by the robust commercial and financial contracts that are in place, as confirmed in a recent independent review conducted by former Victorian State Government Minister, the Hon. Justin Madden,” Mr Rossiter said.
“While independent expert assessments originally found that this agreement provided value when it was signed, we can no longer continue the agreement in good conscience.”
“Council has diligently executed our obligations under the Development Agreement for the Wyndham Stadium Precinct, which was signed by all parties in February 2024. We have gone above and beyond, affording the Western Melbourne Group significant flexibility to fulfil their part of the agreement,” he said.
Every parcel of land earmarked for the precinct, including Ironbark Fields in Tarneit, is owned entirely by Wyndham City Council, meaning any future use of the site will be a decision for Council rather than a private developer.
“It’s important to note that all land earmarked for the Wyndham Stadium Precinct, including Ironbark Fields, is owned entirely by Wyndham City Council, and any future plans will be a decision of Council,” Mr Rossiter said.
Comes a Day After Western United’s A-Leagues Exit
The termination follows Monday’s decision by the Australian Professional Leagues to end Western United’s Club Participation Agreement, closing the door on the club’s return to the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions.
“This follows yesterday’s decision by the Australian Professional Leagues to terminate Western United’s Club Participation Agreement,” Mr Rossiter said.
Western United had been in conditional hibernation since September 2025 after financial troubles left it unable to pay players and staff. APL Chair Stephen Conroy said the club remained in breach of its licensing obligations despite months of work to rebuild it.
“The APL Board has since taken the decision to terminate Western United’s Club Participation Agreement,” Mr Conroy said. “The club was in breach of a number of its obligations under that agreement, including its obligation to comply with the Football Australia National Club Licensing Regulations.”
With both the club’s top-flight licence and its development partner’s contract now terminated, attention turns to what Wyndham City does next with the 63-hectare precinct in Tarneit, including the future of the Ironbark Fields training base.
