Moorabool is amidst a population boom.
Almost 600 people moved into the shire last year, up 1.9 per cent from 2014, making it the fourth fastest-growing regional municipality, Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals.
And mayor Allan Comrie has taken the opportunity to pressure state and federal governments to commit funds to this growth.
Cr Comrie said there needs to be more investment in health, education and recreation services, and better road networks to keep up with demand.
“Our towns are a great place to raise a family or retire to, but we need to keep pressure on federal and state governments to ensure we received our fair share of funding to cater for the rapid growth,” Cr Comrie said.
“We still have residential estates being built, and with gas and sewerage connections in some of our smaller western towns, and health and aged-care expansions in Ballan, we expect many more people will want to call Moorabool home.”
Moorabool’s proximity to Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong, and its country lifestyle made the shire attractive, Cr Comrie said.
There were almost 31,500 people living in Moorabool as of the end of last year.
Melton growth
Meanwhile, Melton continues to experience massive population growth, with more than 5000 people moving into the municipality in 2015.
Although it wasn’t the fastest growing metropolitan municipality in the state, Melton ranked in the top five. National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA) chairman Glenn Docherty said the latest ABS figures reveal the scale of growth in outer metropolitan suburbs and the need for a “serious commitment” to infrastructure in these areas.
“These latest figures confirm what residents have known for a long time – that growth rates in outer suburbs are phenomenal,” Mr Docherty said.
“They underscore the importance of our Fund our Future campaign.
“To address the infrastructure problems in outer growth areas would cost $5 billion a year over the next 15 years.”
Mr Docherty called on the federal government to commit to a long-term infrastructure fund,
“Without it, we’re just playing around the edges,” he said.
“The focus on outer growth areas is welcome, but we need a firm commitment from both sides of politics to a national infrastructure fund for outer growth areas.
“We need a fund for long-term infrastructure.
“This will benefit both the local community and the economy as a whole,” Mr Docherty said.
“Without it, we’re just playing around the edges.”
