The state government should aim to create a new job for each new house in Wyndham under its signature planning strategy, according to a lobbyist.
In a submission to the Plan Melbourne 40-year growth strategy, Committee for Wyndham spokesman Chris Potaris said the city had fewer jobs than any other part of Melbourne and it also had enormous population growth.
Jobs should be created in the new employment precincts in East Werribee and Truganina to “ensure the city has a vibrant local economy”, Mr Potaris said. Government planners should consider including a “job creation agency” in the west before the final plan was released next year.
“The population of Melbourne’s west is forecast to reach approximately 1.1 million to 1.2 million by 2030,” Mr Potaris said.
“This represents a higher populous rate than the city of Adelaide and is significant in terms of challenges and opportunities facing this current state government.”
Mr Potaris said the Plan Melbourne strategy focused on central Melbourne and did not address significant transport issues in the west, including the need for a western section of east-west link.
He said planning for population growth and future transport needs was “manifestly inadequate” with no focus on allocating land for the western section of east-west link to “ease the already incredibly congested traffic situation along the West Gate Bridge and freeway”.
LeadWest chief executive Craig Rowley said many transport problems could be solved if residents didn’t have to commute to the city for work.
“The [strategy’s] focus in Melbourne’s west is more about people and doesn’t focus on the workforce-to-job ratio. We need to re-balance it.”
Mr Rowley said LeadWest welcomed plans to develop Werribee and Sunshine as employment clusters.
He added that his group would like the plan to consider a rail line alongside the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road, which would connect Werribee to Kalkallo.
