Our community is growing fast. Home to 244,124 residents in 2023, our population is expected to increase almost 50% to 360,692 by 2041.
To keep up with this rapid population growth, we need support from both the state and federal government.
It's essential that we keep the needs of our growing community in mind in all future strategic planning activities, while actively campaigning for the state and federal government to do the same.
This will ensure our community remains connected through vital road and public transport infrastructure, and are able to access essential services including health, education and employment opportunities close to home.
We rely on all levels of government to help provide the infrastructure and services that our community needs. We advocate to the government to fund these priorities.
We're seeking State and Federal government co-investment in 18 key initiatives across seven integrated economic domains or advocacy themes:
- community services and infrastructure
- employment
- public transport
- health and wellbeing
- affordable housing
- roads
- environmental sustainability.
Investment in these areas will create and enhance conditions for economic growth, liveability, and sustainability, benefiting our rapidly expanding and diverse population.
Read the advocacy prospectus to find full details of our advocacy campaigns:
Advocacy Prospectus 2023-2025(PDF, 30MB)
Advocacy Prospectus 2023 - accessible(DOCX, 27MB)
Summary of partnership opportunities 2023(PDF, 695KB)
Read more about the initiatives in the following sections on this page.
Investment in our community services and infrastructure initiatives will provide opportunities for Aboriginal residents, deliver more than $4.5 million in improved health outcomes each year, create 800 jobs, and add more than $784 million in gross benefits to Victoria over 30 years.
Regional aquatic and sports centre
The rapidly growing communities in our north urgently need a regional sports and aquatic facility. The proposed facility will include indoor and outdoor sports courts which will increase female participation in sports as seen in other communities, as well as a 50m multipurpose pool and gymnasium to improve both physical and mental health outcomes for our community
This state-of-the-art regional sports and aquatic facility is our single largest social infrastructure investment, which we are seeking to partner with both Federal and State Governments to deliver.
Our ask
Co-invest to construct a state-of-the-art aquatic and sports centre in Mernda.
Community benefits
- Deliver $784.3 million in economic value to Victoria over 30 years.
- Deliver $150.7 million in social value, including $135.6 million in improved health outcomes, over 30 years.
- Create over 800 jobs.
Progress
City of Whittlesea welcomes the Victorian Government's $20 million investment towards phase two in delivering the sports stadium and eight outdoor courts. Council is seeking future investment in phase three for delivery of the aquatic centre.
Learn more about the project
Aboriginal Gathering Place
Victoria has 14 Aboriginal Gathering Places, but none in the City of Whittlesea, despite us having one of the fastest growing First Nations populations in metropolitan Melbourne.
Research shows that Aboriginal Gathering Places have positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of First Nations people and improve health and economic outcomes.
Our ask
Co-invest in an estimated $12 millon purpose-built Aboriginal Gathering Place in Quarry Hills Regional Park, South Morang, to be completed by 2024.
Community benefits
- Advanced ‘closing the gap’ targets with improved health, education and employment outcomes for local First Nations residents.
- Increased reconciliation between First Nations and non-First Nations residents.
Progress
The local First Nations community has identified the Quarry Hills Regional Park in South Morang as the preferred site for the Gathering Place. One of the defining landscapes of the City of Whittlesea, this unique area is surrounded by natural habitat.
Council has also formed a Whittlesea Aboriginal Gathering Place Advisory Group (WAGPAG) comprising of local Aboriginal Elders, local leaders and grassroots community members. The group has provided constructive advice to Council and architects to inform the concept plan.
Learn more about the project
Mobile broadband coverage
Victoria has 14 Aboriginal Gathering Places, but none in the City of Whittlesea, despite us having one of the fastest growing First Nations populations in metropolitan Melbourne.
Research shows that Aboriginal Gathering Places have positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of First Nations people and improve health and economic outcomes.
Our ask
We have identified eight existing blackspots with limited connectivity and six future growth areas to advocate for improved mobile and broadband coverage in the municipality. This will improve your access to employment, business, education and community safety information.
Community benefits
- Ensure all residents and businesses are connected during emergency events.
- Improve access to, and participation in, employment and education.
- Eliminate disruption to local businesses.
- Prepare for future demand.
- Improve social connection.
Progress
The State Government's Connecting Victoria program recently announced projects covering the City of Whittlesea. These include mobile towers in Donnybrook, Doreen, Eden Park, Epping, Humevale, Mernda, Mill Park, South Morang, Whittlesea, Wollert, Woodstock, Yan Yean and broadband solutions in Doreen and Mill Park.
Council welcomes these mobile and broadband coverage upgrades, while calling for further investment for connectivity in our future growth areas of Cooper Street West, Donnybrook/Woodstock, Wollert, Beveridge Intermodal Freight Terminal, and Northern Quarries/Craigieburn South.
Our employment initiatives will generate 10,000 ongoing jobs and add billions to the Victorian economy. This is crucial for our City’s ‘high population’ future.
MFIX – Melbourne Food Innovation and Export Hub
Our ask
- Fund the development of MFIX as a transformational project for the northern region of Melbourne and Victoria.
- Provide incentives for a major industry player to relocate to Epping as an anchor tenant to attract other food and export businesses.
Community benefits
- Generate 3,500 construction jobs.
- Generate 6,500 ongoing jobs.
- Improve productivity, collaboration and exports in the food and beverage industry.
- Unlock Melbourne’s North as an international agri-food and beverage hub.
Investment in our public transport initiatives will increase local housing values by $2.44 billion and deliver travel time savings of $523 million by 2030.
Wollert rail
Initiative
A rail corridor connecting Wollert on the Mernda Line by 2030. This initiative will connect the Epping – Wollert growth corridor via Lalor station and the Epping Metropolitan Activity Centre health and commercial precinct.
Our ask
State Government to invest $250k in FY 2023-24 for a feasibility study.
Community benefits
- Connect the Wollert community to employment, education and health hubs.
- Increase property values by $2.44 billion.
- Deliver travel time savings of $523 million and 500,000 hours.
- Reduce congestion on local and arterial roads.
Tram 86 (T86) extension
Our ask
Extend Tram Route 86 (T86) from the Plenty-McKimmies roads intersection to the Plenty Valley town centre. This initiative will allow more efficient transportation in the municipality.
Community benefit
- Allow 15,000 residents to easily use South Morang station on the Mernda line.
- Better access to education, employment, retail, and health services.
Better bus services
Our ask
Our growing community needs efficient, frequent, and better routed bus services.
- Improve existing services: deliver extensions and improved frequencies to existing routes connecting Thomastown, Epping, Epping North and Wollert.
- New service: deliver a new frequent bus service connecting Epping Station to Wollert (via Edgars Road).
- Review existing bus service provisions for Donnybrook, including the introduction of on-demand bus service.
Community benefits
- Allow more efficient commutes.
- Reduce road congestion.
- Improve access to employment, education, and health services.
Wallan electrification and connection
Our ask
Extension and electrification of the Upfield line to Wallan to connect the fastest growing areas in the region under the metropolitan rail network.
Community benefits
- Service the rapidly growing residential, commercial, and industrial development in the Northern Growth Corridor.
- Improve access to employment, education and health services for current and future residents.
The City of Whittlesea is an area of high need. Between 2023 and 2041, our population will grow by almost 50%, and we need urgent investment to expand our health services and community wellbeing programs.
Adolescent mental health services
Our ask
Ongoing funding for the Youth Enhanced Service to provide psychological support for young people with moderate to high mental health care needs.
Community benefits
- Reduce hospital ED presentations.
- Reduce high risk taking, substance misuse and associated long-term impacts of mental health issues.
- Reduce social isolation, and disruptions to education and employment.
- Prevent suicide.
Progress
In 2023, Headspace Plenty Valley have received uplift funding that will incrementally increase over the next three years. While this announcement falls short of a permanent and full headspace service in our municipality, this is a welcome and much needed positive step that will service part of the high demand in our community.
While we acknowledge this, we continue to call for a full headspace service that can provide at risk young people with integrated
health care in our municipality.
Family violence programs
Our ask
Funding for locally tailored initiatives to prevent family violence. These initiatives will help build community resilience against family violence, reduce the number of incidents and support recovery.
- Migrant Women’s Driving Program.
- CALD Women’s Social Groups.
- CALD Women’s Recovery Groups.
Community benefits
- Prevent and reduce family violence.
- Mitigate mental and physical health consequences of family violence.
- Build community understanding of gender equality to prevent family violence.
Gambling harm minimisation
Our ask
Extend library operating hours to provide a safe and welcoming alternative for community members at risk of gambling harm, social isolation, and family violence. This includes funding to expand prevention programs such as Libraries After Dark.
Community benefits
- Reduce social isolation – a risk factor for gambling.
- Reduce rental and mortgage stress.
- Reduce family violence.
- Increase access to work and study friendly spaces for low-income households.
Investment in social and affordable housing infrastructure benefits society and delivers significant cost savings to government by supporting social inclusion, participation, place making and economic productivity
Social and affordable housing
Our ask
Increase and improve stock
- Introduce state-wide planning measures that mandate and provide incentives for affordable housing:
- a state-wide minimum of 15% affordable housing for significant developments
- measures to ensure developments are close to services and infrastructure.
- Invest in all types of affordable housing in the City of Whittlesea from crisis accommodation to affordable home ownership.
- Use surplus State land in the City of Whittlesea for affordable housing.
- Improve the thermal performance and energy efficiency of existing social and affordable housing.
Access point and outreach services
- Establish specialised outreach homelessness services to support people across the municipality and break the cycle
of homelessness.
Community benefits
- Break the cycle of homelessness.
- Relieve pressure on local homelessness services.
- Reduce number of young people sleeping rough.
- Reduce rental and mortgage stress and improve wellbeing.
- Improve and increase participation in employment, education and health care.
- Strengthen connections to support systems.
- Improve access to financial support.
- Reduce household energy usage and operational costs.
Targeted investment in our roads will increase capacity for industry and commuters. It will improve life for thousands of residents, save millions in travel hours, and make access to employment, education, and health services much easier. Investment in active travel infrastructure will result in better health outcomes for our community and reduce congestion on roads.
E6 freeway
Our ask
Investment to bring forward construction of the E6 Freeway to 2027, ensuring completion by 2035.
Community benefits
- Provide capacity for 80,000 vehicles per day.
- Relieve congestion on arterial roads.
- Provide a designated route for heavy vehicles.
- Service freight movements.
- Cater for growing communities.
Road upgrades
Our ask
Investment from State government to deliver key road upgrades, including:
- Bridge Inn Road: declare and duplicate between Plenty Road and Wellington Road by 2030.
- Craigieburn Roads East: duplicate between Epping Road and Hume Freeway by 2025.
- Epping Road: duplicate between Craigieburn Road East and Bridge Inn Road and upgrade the Epping Road/Bridge Inn Road intersection as soon as possible.
- Findon Road: declare and duplicate between Plenty Road and Epping Road by 2030.
- Donnybrook Road: duplicate between Epping Road and Merri Creek by 2025.
Community benefits
- Increase cyclist and pedestrian safety.
- Reduce accidents.
- Create time savings.
- Improve access to employment, education, and health services.
Active travel infrastructure
Our ask
Partnership with Council to deliver active travel infrastructure projects and invest in behavioural change programs to support our community in walking and cycling more.
Community benefits
- Safer access to local services, facilities, and recreational opportunities.
- Better health outcomes, including reducing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other risks.
- Reduce traffic congestion by substituting car trips with active travel modes.
- Economic benefits from reduced vehicle operational costs.
- Environmental benefits of walking and cycling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
The City of Whittlesea and its residents are committed to environmental sustainability, through improving and protecting biodiversity and community connection to nature.
Investment in conservation of our Grassy Eucalypt Woodlands Reserve and water management will preserve the City of Whittlesea as a unique urban environment with a rich biodiversity for generations to come.
Securing the Grassy Eucalypt Woodlands
Our ask
Fulfil the 2009 commitment to establish a 1200 hectare Grassy Eucalypt Woodlands Reserve within the City of Whittlesea.
Community benefits
- Protection of critically endangered woodlands and nationally threatened species.
- Improve biodiversity, safeguard environmental amenity and reduce climate change threat on flora and fauna.
- Increase community connection to nature.
- Safeguard and increase environmental amenity for the region.
Integrated water management
Our ask
A feasibility study into integrated water management to provide rural areas access to alternative water supply within the cities of Whittlesea, Hume and Nillumbik.
Community benefit
- Build rural climate resilience.
- Protect agricultural land in Melbourne’s peri-urban food bowl.
Electric vehicle (EV) transition plan
Our ask
Co-investment to support the delivery of charging stations across Council sites, and vehicle purchase subsidies to support Council light and heavy fleet EV transition.
Community benefits
- Expedite Council fleet EV transition.
- Support the emerging second-hand EV market.
- Reduce carbon footprint and emissions for environmental sustainability.