While Sunbury residents are closer to being granted their wish to separate from Hume, the future isn’t as clear for their Diggers Rest neighbours.
Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said last week that following the strong result of a recent poll, she intended to establish a panel to recommend new municipal boundaries for the Sunbury region.
With Diggers Rest split between Hume and Melton municipalities, people currently living in Hume are likely to be included in the new shire.
Of the 383 Diggers Rest residents eligible to vote in the October poll, 141 voted in favour of Sunbury becoming its own shire and 77 voted against.
Ms Powell has said there are no plans for the rest of Diggers Rest to become part of the new shire. Diggers Rest resident David O’Connor said the vote failed to provide the town’s residents with any degree of certainty.
“While the township of Diggers Rest is situated within Melton, Diggers Rest is well serviced by Sunbury with respect to day-to-day needs and many residents feel more connected to Sunbury than Melton,’’ he said. “The establishment of a local government panel to recommend new municipal boundaries may be influenced by submissions from within Sunbury aimed at including Diggers Rest as part of the new boundaries.”
Mr O’Connor said that as a growth area, Diggers Rest could be an “integral component for the future of Sunbury”.
“Future commercial development plans along Vineyard Road in Sunbury and Diggers Rest have the potential to create substantial employment opportunities for the neighbouring municipalities of Melton and Hume. A sustainable model for the new municipality of Sunbury is paramount in the short term if rates are to remain affordable for householders. Hume City and many of those driving the ‘Sunbury out of Hume’ campaign see Diggers Rest as an important rate base.
“It would be tragic for the future of Diggers Rest if the panel were to recommend the inclusion of the Diggers Rest township within the new municipality of Sunbury without some level of consultation with Diggers Rest residents and property owners.”
Panel details are expected next year.
