Mitchell Shire Council has launched a report warning Victoria risks repeating long-recognised service gaps in outer growth areas as the state's fastest-growing municipality prepares to more than triple in size.
The Health and Human Services Gap Analysis Report, commissioned by Mitchell Shire Council, finds that while Victoria's planning framework effectively guarantees land supply and housing delivery, health and human services are not embedded in the planning or delivery of new growth areas.
Health agencies are not mandated participants in the planning process that shapes new communities, meaning health infrastructure and services are often planned after development has already begun.
Mitchell's population is projected to grow from 64,175 in 2025 to more than 221,000 by 2046 - a 245 per cent increase and the highest growth rate of any local government area in Victoria.
Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall said the report suggested Victoria risked repeating patterns identified in earlier growth areas, where housing development arrived years before essential services.
"The pattern identified in earlier growth areas was housing arriving first and services following years later," Cr Dougall said. "Mitchell's growth trajectory suggests we may be repeating that model - only at three times the scale.
"It's unprecedented growth without guarantees, and our community is already feeling the impact.
"But unlike some growth areas, Mitchell is not starting from a strong service base. Residents are already travelling long distances for care and struggling to access basic health services such as GPs.
