If the state government's new report, Victoria in Future 2019, is correct, then the municipality will have welcomed more than 700 new residents. And if Horsham council's 20-year futures plan to transform the city goes ahead, the area between the Wimmera River and Baillie Street will have a vastly different look, and different functionality.

It's clear our healthcare, schools, aged care and other services will need to grow to accommodate population growth, and evolve in a changing society.

People will drive the evolution - in various ways. People will choose whether they move to Horsham - to take a job, make a tree change, or retire to the Wimmera's largest centre. Maybe they love the lifestyle our city has to offer, they get a great job offer, they meet a special someone and never leave, or choose to retire around friends.

But maybe they won't give our region a second thought. The Wimmera is a wonderful place to live and work. But in order to continue to attract new residents, it must offer a lifestyle people want and need. That might be as simple as brunch and retail therapy on Sundays, or it might be as serious as high-level healthcare. An openness to change and the consultation and foresight for our needs of the future is vital.

The council's futures plan has prompted much debate. While this masthead maintains a neutral stance on the matter, it's concerning to note that many attitudes towards the project - and progress in Horsham in general - are attributed to the Horsham of today. But futures planning is not designed for the Horsham of today - it's designed for the needs of the Horsham of the future.

The Horsham Residents and Ratepayers Group brought together about 50 people for its first public meeting - their passion undeniable, their experiences long-term and their concerns valid. But 50 people from a population base of 20,000 residents is hardly a true representation of the municipality as a whole. And the representation of the municipality's young residents? Minimal.

We all have a chance to shape the Horsham, and the wider region, of the future - but we must speak out and have our views heard. Whether its spruiking the region to a professional, or having your say on the council's planning, the flow-on impacts will impact the wider population. Let's make it count - for the greater good.

Jessica Grimble, editor