Already working to attract growth funds

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Many of the things suggested by a well known demographer that should be done to attract government funding to meet rapid population growth in Warragul-Drouin are already being done, according to Baw Baw Shire councillor and Peri-Urban Councils Victoria chair Michael Leaney.

Cr Leaney was commenting on an article in The Gazette (April 9, “We’re the fastest growing town in Australia”) in which demographer Bernard Salt said the council “should be working to ensure it is on the top of every state and federal government list of areas needing special support to cater for growth”.

But Cr Leaney said the issue was already being strongly advocated at state and federal government levels.

As chair of PUCV he had been to parliaments in Canberra twice and Melbourne once in recent weeks conferring with politicians and public service departments.

Based on an analysis on Australian Bureau of Statistics population data over the past 10 years, Mr Salt said Warragul-Drouin’s growth during that period of 41 per cent (population last year had reached 45,597) was on a scale not matched anywhere else in the country for cities and towns with populations of more than 10,000.

He said council should be planning for 60,000 people in the not too distant future.

Cr Leaney said the statements were nothing new.

He said a “lot of progress” had been made with governments but people needed to understand the wheels of government and bureaucracy move slowly.

“We are doing a lot of advocacy behind the scenes”.

Cr Leaney emphasised that local government was in competition with other agencies for funding but was confident peri-urban councils have had a good influence on government in recent years.

In peri-urban municipalities such as Baw Baw existing towns need to be “retrofitted” to cater for the growth, unlike development of an entirely new community, he said.

Responding to a suggestion by Mr Salt that the shire’s mayor and chief executive officer undertake fact finding visits to areas such as Wagga Wagga in New South Wales and Hervey Bay, Queensland to see what services might be expected in towns in the 58,000 to 61,000 population range, Mr Leaney said it wasn’t necessary.

We know the facts already, he said.