Kealy angry over population data

Population figures showing more than three quarters of all Victorians live in Melbourne has sparked an angry reaction from Member for Lowan Emma Kealy.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data has revealed that Victoria’s population grew by 123,131 people last year, with 107,770, or 87.5 percent moving to Melbourne.

They also showed that 15,361 people moved to regional communities at a growth rate of 1.1 percent.

Ms Kealy said the figures proved the State Government lacked direction to manage and grow the population of regional Victoria.

“Greater Melbourne now makes up 76.5 percent of Victoria’s total population and is bursting at the seams while our regional communities remain at a relative standstill,” she said.

“Our regional communities want to grow – they want more job opportunities, new developments and improved public transport. But the Andrews Labor government still has no plan to manage Victoria’s growing population.

“We need strong leadership and a plan so that our wonderful rural communities not only survive, but thrive into the future.”

Ms Kealy said the circumstances underlined why the state Opposition had formed a Population Policy Taskforce and was speaking with people across Victoria to develop a whole-ofstate approach to managing population growth and sharing its opportunities.

“This issue represents one of the greatest challenges facing Victorians,” she said.

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

Ms Kealy said the Coalition would release Population Policy Taskforce interim findings in coming months.