Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This submission is presented to the Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne by Mitchell Shire Council. Mitchell Shire is Melbourne’s newest growth municipality. When the State Government changed the Urban Growth Boundary in 2010, it included parts of the Mitchell Shire. Within the body of this submission, the following points are raised. Wallan & Beveridge have a greater proportion of people with higher incomes. This is likely to result in high expectations for quality services and infrastructure. The data suggests that attracting and retaining health professionals from the metro area to a growth municipality like Mitchell remains a challenge for planners. “Planning for Community Infrastructure in Growth Areas” Wyndham City Council, City of Whittlesea and others – April 2008 could be used as a template for minimum standards of infrastructure provision. In simple terms, the existing roads won’t cope with the population growth. Developers will need encouragement to contribute more to liveability activities or tackle the issue themselves. A Developer Contribution Plan template for growth areas would assist. Often shopping facilities lag population growth for usually sound economic reasons but strategic planning needs to address this issue at the early planning stages. 2 Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 The State Government has created regions across Victoria and Mitchell Shire sits in the Hume Region – whose administrative headquarters sit in Benalla, Wangaratta or Shepparton. The distances result in a disjoint, as Mitchell has far more in common in its South with Melbourne than with Wangaratta or Benalla. Where significant investment in public transport has taken place, the public transport network has contributed to the overall vitality and cohesion of the community. A connected community is a health community. Additional incentives to encourage skill development and training are needed. There is a need to address the provision of appropriately zoned industrial land urgently. 3 Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 2 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 5 1. Population Trends .............................................................................................. 6 2. Median House Prices ......................................................................................... 8 Median House Prices ......................................................................................... 8 Weekly household income 2006 ........................................................................ 8 3. Medical / Health and Support Services ............................................................ 10 4. Urban Renewal Best Practice relating to established outer suburbs ............... 13 5. Options for enhanced Liveability ...................................................................... 16 6. Identify existing public and private infrastructure provision .............................. 23 7. Assess the capacity of existing infrastructure to accommodate increased population growth ............................................................................................ 26 8. Investigate options, based on intrastate, interstate and international evidence, which reduce pressures on infrastructure and essential services .................... 27 9. Transport and Mitchell ..................................................................................... 28 10. Provide options for skills training and retention .................................................. 36 11. Examine the role of small business, local councils and community groups in developing local expertise ................................................................................ 39 12. Investigate the value of sister city relationships with key trade and innovation markets ............................................................................................................ 41 13. Identify local manufacturing capacity and highlight export development opportunities .................................................................................................... 42 4 Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 Introduction Mitchell Shire is located in central Victoria, between 35 and 100 kilometres north of Melbourne. Mitchell Shire is bounded by the City of Greater Bendigo and Strathbogie Shire in the north, Murrindindi Shire in the east, the Cities of Whittlesea and Hume in the south, and Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander Shires in the west. Mitchell Shire includes the townships and rural districts of Avenel (part), Beveridge (part), Broadford, Bylands (part), Clonbinane, Flowerdale (part), Forbes, Glenaroua, Glenhope, Glenhope East, Heathcote Junction, Heathcote South, Highlands (part), High Camp, Hilldene, Kilmore, Kilmore East, Mangalore (part), Mia Mia (part), Moranding, Northwood, Nulla Vale, Puckapunyal, Pyalong, Reedy Creek, Seymour, Sugarloaf Creek, Sunday Creek, Tallarook, Tarcombe (part), Tooborac, Trawool, Tyaak, Upper Plenty, Wallan Wandong, Waterford Park, Whiteheads Creek and Willowmavin. Mitchell Shire is predominantly a rural area, but has substantial residential areas in the townships of Beveridge, Broadford, Heathcote Junction, Kilmore, Pyalong, Seymour, Tallarook, Tooborac, Wallan, Wandong, Waterford Park and the Puckapunyal Army Base. Seymour is the main business, industrial and population centre in the Shire, followed by Wallan then Kilmore and Broadford. Most of the rural area is used for agricultural purposes, including beef and wool farming, forestry and timber production, viticulture, olive production and hobby farms. Mitchell was named after Major Thomas Mitchell, who explored large areas of New South Wales and Victoria in the 1830s. 5 Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 1. Population Trends The Wallan and Beveridge communities are located in the South of Mitchell Shire. Each community is situated within 60 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD (Wallan 60km, Beveridge 54km). Rapid population growth is being experienced in these areas, with a significant proportion of new residents commuting to Melbourne for employment. Population forecasts show that the communities will continue to maintain high growth rates. The Victoria in Future (2008) report forecasts that the Mitchell Shire will have strong population growth over the next 20 years. The exurban growth will be accompanied by strong household growth. Mitchell Shire will gain population across all age groups; the largest increase will be in the 20 to 24 year age category. There will also be a large increase in the number of people aged over 60 years. This will increase from 14.4% of the population in 2006 to 21.5% in 2026. Total Mitchell Shire population forecasts are summarised in the following table: Year 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026 Total 32,040 37,055 42,510 48,624 55,290 population The following tables depict projected population trends in the South of the Shire. Figures DO NOT incorporate recent Melbourne Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) amendments. Indicative figures from UGB changes are likely to increase population projections in these communities ten-fold. Beveridge Population 2011 2016 2021 Change 2011-2021 Total 501 1,956 6,523 6,022 Births 4 29 108 104 0-4 years 37 218 748 711 4 years 8 44 155 147 5-11 years 71 267 933 862 12-24 years 97 320 1,032 935 25-54 years 231 937 3,151 2,920 55 years and older 64 214 660 596 6 Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 Wallan Population 2011 2016 2021 Change 2011- 2021 Total 3,640 8,269 10,114 11,909 Births 147 53 118 171 0-4 years 724 1,015 291 877 4 years 60 155 186 215 5-11 years 1,097 1,290 1,493 396 12-24 years 1,552 1,866 618 2,170 25-54 years 3,625 4,413 1,483 5,108 55 years and 1,271 1,668 2,123 852 older The average annual population growth rates for Mitchell Shire are consistently forecast to be double that of the Victorian annual growth rate figures. (Mitchell Shire 2.5 to 3%, Victoria 1.2 to 1.5%) (Source: Victoria in Future, 2008) 7 Inquiry into Liveability Options in Outer Suburban Melbourne April 2011 2. Median House Prices Median House Prices In December 2010, the median price of houses sold in Wallan was $287,000 and for a two bedroom unit it was $215,000. The median price paid over the past 24 months for a house in Beveridge was $380,000. In September 2010, the median rent for a two-bedroom unit in the Mitchell Shire area was $222 per week, and the median rent for a three-bedroom house was $260 per week. (Source: Housing prices - realestate.com.au. Rental prices - Office of Housing). Weekly household income 2006 An assessment of the household income levels in Wallan and Beveridge from the 2006 census data compared to the Melbourne Statistical Division shows that there was a larger proportion of high income households (those in the Highest group – top 25%) but a smaller proportion of low income households (Lowest group). Overall, 40.4% of the households earned a high income, and 12.9% were low income households, compared with 38.9% and 19.3% respectively for the