Growing the Wimmera | Region’s population challenges take centre stage

WIMMERA population issues will be at the forefront of a forum in Horsham on Friday.

Business Horsham will host a Victorian Population Policy Taskforce meeting where business, community, and local and state government representatives will discuss the problems and opportunities in the region, and future plans.

Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy announced the taskforce in 2016, after identifying population growth management as the state’s biggest challenge.

The taskforce aims to determine how much growth capacity exists in the region, and what changes are needed to manage population increases.

Its findings will form the basis of Coalition policies in the lead-up to the 2018 election.

The Horsham forum is one of 17 across the state this year.

Taskforce chairman Tim Smith, vice-chairman Danny O’Brien, and Member for Lowan Emma Kealy will speak at the event.

Business Horsham executive administrator Wendy Mitchell said population issues had been on the group’s agenda for many years.

“There’s two parts: we need to look at how we can build business here and what infrastructure we need, and also how we attract people to move here,” she said.

“There’s a situation now with the population boom in Melbourne and the city’s ability to cope. Groups like ours have been trying to let people in government know about this for a long time, and I think finally the penny’s dropped for them.

“Regional centres need incentives to build on business, but the government also needs to incentivise people to move to regional areas, whether that is through pay structures, helping them move from the city, or giving them a one-off moving support package, for example.”

Mrs Mitchell said it was important to know what city-based people were looking for when considering moving to regional areas.

“We need to ask city folk what they want – what is it that would make them move? I don’t think all the answers come from us,” she said.

“There could be young families in Melbourne who want to move but just need the capacity to do it.

“I’m sure there might be people who can’t afford to move, and we need to identify those people.”

Ms Kealy said there was a huge opportunity to reverse declining population trends in regional Victoria.

She said the state’s population was growing by 100,000 people each year.

Of these people, about 92 per cent make Melbourne home.

She said Melbourne was bursting at the seams, and the government needed to act.

“The question the Liberal and Nationals are asking is how do we take the pressure of Melbourne and grow country Victoria in a sustainable way”, she said.

“There are many success stories of positive population growth and development in regional Victoria, but we need strong leadership and a long-term plan so our wonderful rural communities not only survive, but thrive into the future.

“The challenge for Victoria is not just about the number of people, but where these people are choosing to live and how state government can regionalise this growth for the benefit of our whole state, not just focusing on Melbourne alone.”

Ms Kealy said people could visit vicpopulation.com.au to learn more about the taskforce or submit their thoughts about population in their region.