A new report presented to the federal government this week suggested an extra 500,000 people should be "living prosperously" in regional Australia by 2032 to avoid Melbourne and Sydney sprawling into unliveable "megacities".
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The Regional Australia Institute reckons both Melbourne and Sydney will double their current populations by the middle of the century. It is not an attractive prospect.
For great numbers of people, living in the city will actually mean living in its outer sprawl. Travel to work would be arduous and expensive unless lots of money is spent on better roads and public transport. The alternative, of course, is regional areas.
We all know the south-west is a great place to live, work and invest. Travel to work isn't long or arduous, many can walk and cycle safely, barely raising a sweat. We now know that working remotely, while not ideal for some occupations, can work.
Our naturally beautiful coastline is only a short drive away for most, so too culturally significant areas like Budj Bim and Gariwerd (The Grampians). We are close to schools, shops, gyms and housing is cheaper than Melbourne. We also have access to good health and education facilities.
The Regional Australia Institute is right to suggest one solution to keeping Melbourne liveable is to promote our regional lifestyles.
But there are downsides too in regional areas.
Here in the south-west, our roads, which we rely on so heavily, are not up to scratch, so getting here is not a smooth ride. Our train service, despite the best efforts of those working on it, is slow. Millions are being spent upgrading infrastructure but even when our ageing fleet of rolling stock is upgraded with new Vlocity sets, they won't run any faster than the existing trains. Accessing Melbourne by car can be a nightmare these days with inbound traffic often banked up from Laverton.
Housing, while more affordable than the capital cities, is scarce in the south-west.
Rental properties are hard to secure, just look at what Moyne Shire is doing. It has launched a "lease to a local" campaign encouraging holiday-home owners to rent their vacant properties to residents rather than short-term visitors. Buying properties too has become harder than normal with demand oustripping supply.
Regional areas like the south-west need more visionary planning and investment.
Warrnambool's population is growing at manageable levels but where will everyone live given the housing squeeze? How will traffic be managed? Mortlake Road, the gateway to the booming north, is congested at certain times of the day. More estates are on the drawing board for Wollaston Road and back in 2012 the city council flagged extending Bromfield Street to Wollaston Road via a new bridge over the Merri River. It's a great idea, the type of thinking we need if we are to grow yet maintain our lifestyle. But such a development comes with a hefty price tag and we know the council has a considerable backlog of assets needing upgrades and investment. A campaign for government funding would be needed and should be achievable. Megacities are unattractive. If we get the right mix of policies, attitudes and investments today, the urban horrors of tomorrow can be avoided.