NOTHING meaningful ever happened without a plan, and that’s why the Shepparton and Mooroopna 2050: Regional City Growth Plan is so important for the region.
Planning for the Growth Plan began back in 2018, but several rounds of community consultation and countless attempts to iron out sticking points have kept it out of arms’ reach of a definitive Council decision.
Speaking vaguely, the Growth Plan is a high-level strategy that sets out the future vision for Shepparton and Mooroopna and guides sustainable future growth and development over the next 30 years.
According to a 2019 DELWP document, Victoria in Future, which details the state’s future population projections, Greater Shepparton’s population is set to grow from 66,010 in 2018 to 77,690 in 2036.
That sort of population growth is the equivalent of adding almost a whole Mooroopna- and Tatura-sized township to the region, so strategic planning is supremely important in getting it right.
That level of growth will require approximately 350 new dwellings per annum to accommodate the projected population growth.
It’s a case akin to what the Queen of Hearts tells Alice in Wonderland: “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere, you must run twice as fast as that.”
Greater Shepparton needs a plan to grow. Available residential land is already in short supply, and deciding on where to make that land available, and how to integrate a city that thrums around a vibrant – not vacant – CBD, will be critical.
