FEDERAL Member for McEwen, Rob Mitchell welcomed the Federal Minister for Housing, Clare O’Neil to the region this week to highlight the needs of Melbourne’s northern growth corridor.
The roundtable brought together representatives from local government, industry and service providers to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions.
Mr Mitchell said the visit highlighted the commitment to working in partnership with communities to unlock more housing supply, improve affordability, and support sustainable growth.
“Mitchell Shire is growing at an extraordinary pace, and we need a coordinated approach to ensure families can access the housing they need,” he said.
“Minister O’Neil’s visit shows that the Government is listening and that community voices are helping shape national housing policy.”
Participants provided feedback on key issues including the need for enabling infrastructure to support new housing developments; improving coordination between all levels of government and the development sector; ensuring affordable and social housing keeps pace with population growth; addressing workforce shortages across planning, building, and community services and the continued support for lending schemes that support first home buyers and young people.
Mr Mitchell said the discussion confirmed the strong appetite for practical solutions and ongoing collaboration.
“The feedback today was clear: our region is ready to grow, but we need the right tools, the right investment, and the right partnerships to make that growth sustainable,” he said.
“It was a pleasure to have Minister O’Neil visit our community. Addressing the decades long housing crisis has been an absolute priority.
“Getting these valuable insights from the stakeholders in the room was incredibly important and showed how the Federal Government recognises this input will play a key part in implementing our $43 billion housing package.
“A huge thanks to those that attended for their honest and constructive contributions.”
Minister O’Neil reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to delivering more homes, supporting first-home buyers, expanding social and affordable housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund, and backing local councils to plan and build for the future.
Mr Mitchell said he looked forward to continuing the work with the community and all levels of government to ensure local families can access safe, secure, and affordable housing.
“Today’s roundtable was an important step forward — and I’m proud to keep advocating for the people of McEwen so they get the homes, services, and infrastructure they deserve,” he said.