Infrastructure Victoria has today called for better integration of land use and transport infrastructure and more targeted regional infrastructure initiatives to help the state reap the benefits of its unprecedented population growth.

Releasing a discussion paper titled Growing Victoria’s Potential, the independent infrastructure adviser said Victoria’s record population growth could deliver great outcomes for the entire state, as long as it was properly planned for.

 “Victoria has a transformational opportunity
to harness the potential of its population growth and thrive in an increasingly
competitive global market,” Chief Executive Officer Michel Masson said.

“Realising this potential will
take careful planning and an open conversation about how and where Victoria
grows.

“Over the next 18 months we will
be updating Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy to identify projects,
policies and reforms that maximise the opportunities and mitigate the
challenges of population growth.

“We’ll have a focus on how we
make the most of Victoria’s regions, what level of density is right for a
growing Melbourne and how we ensure we have the right infrastructure in the
right place at the right time.”

Growing Victoria’s Potential is the first in a series of releases
that will occur throughout 2019 as part of the update of the 30-year
infrastructure strategy.

It has been released along with detailed
regional and metropolitan profiles outlining the unique strengths and
challenges in different parts of Victoria. The profiles were developed through
a year-long process of data gathering and consultation with regional
stakeholders.

Mr Masson said planning for
growth required honest conversations on some complex issues because decisions
about  infrastructure would all come with
trade- offs.

“If we want to increase infrastructure
service levels, then we need to think about the level of density that will be required
to support it,” he said.

“If we want to grow our regions,
then we need to talk about the unique strengths each region has and the challenges
they face.

“We know that when it comes to
infrastructure, we can’t do everything and we can’t do it all at once, so we
need to consider the benefits, impacts and costs of all the available options
in order to prioritise what we need to do where, and when.

“Through our work we will
continue to look at how we manage demand and how we get the most out of our
existing infrastructure because we know that adding new infrastructure will
only ever be part of the solution.

“Over the next year, we will talk
to people right across the state about how infrastructure can help grow
Victoria’s potential and I encourage everyone to join the conversation,” Mr
Masson said.

To read Growing Victoria’s Potential, the regional and metropolitan
profiles or find out more about the 30-year infrastructure strategy update,
visit infrastructurevictoria.com.au.

Source: Victoria Infrastructures