THE National Growth Areas Alliance, which includes the City of Whittlesea, is campaigning for the appointment of a Minister for Growth Areas ahead of the federal election.
The advocacy group says a Minister for Growth Areas is key to addressing issues faced by one in five Australians who live in growth areas – a population growing at twice the national average.
The alliance’s chair Matthew Deeth said municipalities such as Whittlesea, Hume and Mitchell were facing mounting economic, mental health and infrastructure issues following years of underfunding.
“Locals in Victoria’s growth areas are living without adequate access to doctors, hospitals, schools and other social infrastructure, as well as access to local job opportunities,” he said.
“These residents will be looking to the party that can best support them, when they go to the polls. That starts with the appointment of a Federal Minister for Growth Areas to deliver stronger planning that distributes infrastructure, jobs and housing more evenly across metropolitan areas.”
Mr Deeth said the appointment of a Minister for Growth Areas would support the increasing number of new suburbs that were changing the political landscape in Victoria.
He said an analysis of more than 80,000 interviews with growth area residents outlined the initial key priorities for a Minister of Growth Areas as addressing a lag in social infrastructure, rising mental health concerns and a mounting economic crisis in Victoria’s growth areas.
The data showed that, following the pandemic, 52 per cent of Victoria’s outer suburbs residents were struggling to pay at least one bill, particularly energy, groceries, rent and personal loans, leaving them in a ‘financial survival mode’.
Mr Deeth said residents in Victoria’s growth areas would seek a leader determined to boost local economies and provide greater local access to jobs.
“Outer suburban residents spend a substantial amount of their time commuting to CBDs due to a lack of local employment opportunities. This election, residents within these areas will be looking for this to change. Promises to utilise their highly skilled and growing workforces to create employment zones will be a key priority,” he said.
Data also showed that 46 per cent of residents in growth areas accessed a form of mental health in the past 12 months, in comparison to the national average of 52 per cent.
“These areas deserve fair access to critical services such as mental health support, and locals are now, more than ever, seeking a government that is ready to step up and fund these communities where they need it most,” Mr Deeth said.
“This gap has become an even greater concern as more Australians continue to move to the outskirts of Melbourne, distancing themselves from the city and taking advantage of the HomeBuilder grant.
“As a steady stream of new residents continue to pour into Victorian growth areas, the pressure will be heightened on the already scarce vital infrastructure within these communities.”
Mr Deeth said due to a recent rapid population growth, there was a sizable new voting cohort in each electorate, with untested voting behaviours.
“Growth areas have long been overlooked by the government, but as more of these suburbs appear in Victoria, their influence on the state’s future and voting outcomes will only increase, making a Minister for Growth Areas key to political success for all parties now and long term,” he said.
