Wyndham’s population is likely to pass that of Geelong and the ACT within the next two decades.
A Victoria In Future report, released by the state government last Friday, estimates Wyndham’s population will be 359,542 by 2031.
About 200,000 people currently live in the municipality. Geelong has a population of about 231,000, while about 385,000 people call the ACT home.
If the predictions are accurate, Wyndham will become Victoria’s second-largest municipality after Casey, which is expected to grow to 433,907 by 2031.
The report found Wyndham is expected to record the highest population growth of any Victorian municipality between now and then.
Wyndham council’s acting advocacy director, Trisha Love, said the percentage increase in Wyndham’s population would be similar to that of Melbourne’s over the next 16 years.
However, Melbourne would be able to deal with its growth through high-density residential expansion and its existing transport networks, while Wyndham’s growth is likely to spread out and be impacted by the city’s lack of infrastructure, she said.
“Wyndham’s growth is a major challenge that requires planning and resources. Council’s experience over the past decade has been that the state government is not providing enough infrastructure, and it is not being provided fast enough to meet population demand,” Ms Love said.
“This challenge is compounded by the federal government, which has been reducing its financial support over time to the areas that absorb most population growth, including Wyndham.”
The council is calling for greater investment in traffic and transport projects, education, employment and skills development, enhancement of the city’s natural and built environment, and community health, wellbeing and safety to help it cope with the predicted population surge in coming years.
Ms Love said the city needed road improvements and to reduce the backlog of new roads needed to move motorists around.
It also needed more frequent, reliable and direct public transport, a growth areas jobs fund to create employment, better medical facilities and mindful management of new residential developments.
The report predicts that 30 per cent of Wyndham’s population will be aged under 20 by 2031.
Ms Love said the council was used to having a “young” population, and would be advocating for more schools, tertiary education options and recreation facilities.
