Advocacy
"We want our residents and future residents to aim high..."
NCA Launch - 2022
In October, our 2022 NCA Mayors joined forces in a unified call for investment for Melbourne's north.
Supporting over one million residents and businesses, our advocacy priorities will support our region's growth and prosperity into the future.
NCA advocacy video - Connectivity
Watch a virtual demonstration of our need for greater transport connectivity, ensuring access to employment, education and health.
Melbourne's north
A strongly performing Melbourne’s north will have significant flow-on effects for neighbouring regions and those further afield. Ongoing investment in freight and transport infrastructure will positively impact national productivity.
Our community
Melbourne’s north is growing and changing. Our region comprises over one million people, with Victorian Government data indicating that this will expand to just under 1.5 million in less than 17 years. A total of 60 per cent of our population are of working age.
Melbourne’s north also produces $40 billion worth of goods and services every year and growing by 4.7 percent annually.
This demonstrates that any transformational investment now will support our long-term needs.
We want healthy, vibrant communities, made up of people who have every chance to achieve their education, career and lifestyle goals.
We want our current and future residents to aim high. And we want them to know that world-class education, a range of careers and safe, affordable, inclusive communities are either right on their doorstep or easy to access.
We want to celebrate our diversity as one of our greatest strengths.
Within the high-density inner city developments, established green wedge suburbs and new fast-growing residential areas on Melbourne’s outskirts live people from a vast array of cultures and backgrounds, offering a wide range of skills and knowledge.
We believe it is time to invest in our one million people and their future.
Building on the momentum of government priorities
Our vision for Melbourne’s north is based on identified priorities.
We are advocating for long-term transformational projects beyond infrastructure. Within our communities there are pockets of disadvantage along with limited employment access and choice. We are working collectively with service providers to identify efficiencies, share service delivery and improve local capacity and resilience.
We are able to draw on our combined resources, experience and local knowledge to take action. Our goal is to fast-track initiatives being considered by federal and state governments and to identify projects that will support the future needs of our community.
In the news
North and West Melbourne City Deal Plan 2020-2040
Our vision for the North and West Melbourne City Deal Plan focuses on linking people with jobs, health and education.
This will occur through investments that have the potential to unlock thousands of jobs and ensure a high level of social connectivity by:
Victoria needs thriving and sustainable communities outside the CBD.
The Federal Government committed to a North West City Deal last year and asked our community to develop a plan for what it might look like.
Through unprecedented collaboration, 13 Councils represented by the NCA, LeadWest, La Trobe University and Victoria University, WoMEDA and NORTH Link have come up with a 20-year proposal for investment.
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improving our public transport and road networks
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connecting our precincts and metropolitan activity centres (Broadmeadows, Beveridge, Epping, and La Trobe National Employment and Innovation Cluster) through improvements to public transport and important road upgrades
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providing our residents with access to major hospitals in Epping and Heidelberg, as well as La Trobe University in Bundoora
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opening up major growth and employment areas around Cloverton/Beveridge and Wallan, providing thousands of jobs
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further developing Epping and the proposed food manufacturing, distribution and research hub, creating more than 30,000 jobs in the next 10 years
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making available high frequency bus services and the extension of Tram 86 (Plenty Road) for easier access to the La Trobe National Employment and Innovation Cluster, which is home to major universities, and health and medical precincts.
We’re excited to put this plan forward so all tiers of government can continue to work together to ensure the commitment to a City Deal leads to investment across the north and west.
A North and West Melbourne City Deal is critical to connect major employment precincts, build connectivity within and beyond these areas, and improve economic growth, liveability, health and wellbeing.
For more information about the North & West Melbourne City Deal including the proposal document and to view the launch video head to www.nwmcitydeal.org.au