The City of Melton is Australia's fastest growing area, but years of underinvestment in roads and public transport have left residents facing congested roads, overcrowded trains and lengthy daily commutes.
This week, Melton City Council launched its Let's Get the City of Melton Moving state election campaign, calling on all major parties to commit to investing in critical transport and road upgrades required to support a rapidly growing population.
Council is seeking a commitment to electrify and duplicate the Melton rail line by 2030, in line with Infrastructure Victoria's recommendation, along with urgent upgrades to key arterial roads and interchanges including the Western Highway and Hopkins Road.
City of Melton Mayor, Cr Lara Carli, said with the City of Melton's population expected to almost double over the next 20 years, urgent investment is needed to keep up with growth.
"Every day, our residents are spending too long sitting in traffic or waiting for overcrowded trains. These are not future problems. These are challenges our community is facing now, and they will only worsen as our population continues to grow."
The Victorian Government has set a target of 109,000 new homes and five new employment precincts for the City of Melton by 2051, however corresponding investment in the infrastructure needed to support it has been lacking.
"Electrification of the Melton rail line was first promised in 2018 and while planning for this is underway, no clear commitment to its delivery has been made," Mayor Carli said.
"Our residents continue to squeeze onto diesel trains that are meant to service regional areas, not a fast-growing metropolitan area."
Council's modelling suggests that more than 300,000 people are expected to use the rail corridor in the next 25 years and the current system won't cope with this demand.
"We need a clear commitment to electrify the Melton rail line by 2030 in line with Infrastructure Victoria's recommendation, along with new stations at Mt Atkinson, Thornhill Park, and Calder Park," Mayor Carli said.
"As Australia's fastest-growing area, we can no longer afford to wait for the transport and road upgrades our community has been promised for years. Our message to all parties contesting the Victorian election is simple: it's time to get the City of Melton moving."
