The need for more infrastructure in Melton and Moorabool was a recurring theme throughout 2024.
From the need for funding for a pool in Bacchus Marsh to a petition for a train station in Mt Atkinson and the shelving of a long-awaited shopping centre in (also in Mt Atkinson), the Melton and Moorabool communities spoke out to highlight the infrastructure challenges in their neighbourhoods.
In April as the Australian Bureau of Statistics declared the Rockbank-Mount Cottrell area as the fastest growing region in the country for the second year running, Thornhill Park Working Group member Matthew Pearse spoke out about the area’s infrastructure issues including limited public transport.
He called for clear timelines to be put in place in Precinct Structure Plans (PSPs) to give residents clarity of when projects will be delivered.
In May, Melton commuters’ hopes of faster and smoother journeys in and out of the municipality were dashed when long-awaited upgrades to the Calder Freeway were put on ice.
The state government opted to pause the project while it worked with the federal government to “understand the impact” of its decision to withdraw federal funding from the project the previous year..
The federal government had allocated $50 million in funding in 2019, with the state government announcing it would also allocate $50 million to the project in 2021.
Calder Action Group president Russell Mowatt said community members are “appalled” by the decision to pause the funding.
In June, Mt Atkinson residents shared their frustrations with the lack of mobile reception in the suburb, amid concerns it could become an emergency issue.
The vocal residents also launched a petition calling for the state government to build a train station in their suburb, and were quick to share their disappointment in September when Westfield abandoned plans for a shopping centre in Mt Atkinson.
At the start of the year, an advocacy group was formed in Bacchus Marsh to lobby the federal government for funding for an indoor pool in Bacchus Marsh.
The group called for residents’ to “make some noise” to help secure $15 million in funding for the project.
Then in August, Hawke MP Sam Rae urged Moorabool council to apply for funding for the project via the federal government’s Thriving Suburbs program. But in December, it was revealed council had missed out on the much-needed funding because of a $5 million shortfall.
Council has already secured $10 million from the state government for the $45 million project, and planned to contribute $15 million in loan funding.
