Southern Loddon Mallee Regional Strategic Plan 1 - Macedon ...

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strategic direction 4 improve our infrastructure our objectives: We will plan and develop infrastructure to support and manage our region’s projected economic and population growth by: • Developing infrastructure and services that facilitate continued growth in our regional economy. • Maintaining liveability in towns and regional centres through proactive infrastructure provision. • Improving road, rail and public transport access to Melbourne through continued investment and development in highways, local roads and rail infrastructure. • Ensuring water quality and flows remain suitable for environmental and consumptive uses of water. • Increasing coverage and capacity of telecommunications infrastructure and services within the region. • Increasing use of telecommunications infrastructure to improve access to services, health care, education and employment, as well as to strengthen social connection and support economic growth. 24 Southern Loddon Mallee Regional Strategic Plan
Basis for action: As our population grows, our transport infrastructure and services must be improved so that people and goods can continue to move efficiently, and access to social networks and community services is maintained. This will require better coordination of our public transport system and the exploration of innovative transport alternatives. On-going investment in water infrastructure and management of water resources is required to enhance security and efficiency of water supply to irrigators, farm and urban users. This is particularly important in light of our expected population growth, projected water supply reductions due to climate change and changes in water allocation policy. There are significant gaps in our telecommunications infrastructure. Region-wide mobile phone coverage and high speed broadband access are critical to providing access to a wide range of services, including health care, education, finance, training and retail services. It is also required for business growth and as a key means of maintaining social connections and reducing social disadvantage. Our roads Continued planning and infrastructure investment in highways, local roads and rail infrastructure is required to ensure passenger and freight demand can be met. Focus is also required on how transport infrastructure and services can be developed in ways that support population growth in smaller towns and facilitate access to community and commercial services. The four lane Calder Freeway connects Bendigo and the main towns to its south to Melbourne by road. Completion of this link has meant that smaller towns have been bypassed, improving Serviceton Dimboola Horsham Yelta Heywood Portland Ouyen Hopetoun Yaapeet Mildura Kulwin WESTERN HWY Murtoa Maroona Robinvale St Arnaud Warrnambool Piangil CALDER HWY Maryborough Ararat Ballarat PRINCES HWY Swan Hill Korong Vale Dunolly Geelong Moulamein N Deniliquin Tocumwal Echuca Toolamba Bendigo CALDER HWY Seymour Yea safety and reducing through traffic for local communities. However, on-going upgrades are needed to maintain high level access between Bendigo and Melbourne and to reduce travel times and improve road safety. The Calder Highway Improvement Committee has identified the Calder Alternative Highway intersection at Ravenswood as its highest priority for urgent development works although funding has not yet been obtained to construct this interchange. Bendigo’s position as a major transport hub for northern and northwestern Victoria means that transport planning and infrastructure development should also take account of movements of freight and people throughout the entire Loddon Mallee region. Such planning would consider future road and rail transport needs for the southern region and respond to the many pressing issues, particularly for freight movement, in the northern region. Public transport V/Line operates 17 weekday train services from Bendigo to Melbourne and 18 services in the opposite direction. Two services continue to Swan Hill and two to Echuca. There are also five daily connecting bus services to Maryborough. From 2010, a V/Line train will run between Ballarat and Maryborough 14 times each week. V/Line, private and community buses also offer transport between smaller towns and regional centres or stations along the Melbourne-Bendigo corridor. Those in the south of the region mainly focus on commuters transport and run at times coinciding with train timetables. Local government and community based services also provide transport, with a focus on connecting residents of smaller settlements with important community services. The region’s proximity to Melbourne means that most freight movements are also by road. Oaklands Cobram Albury Shepparton HUME FWY Mangalore Melbourne PRINCES FWY Benalla Moe Morwell Leongatha Wodonga Bairnsdale Sale Traralgon Major region transport links map Principal Freight Network - Road Principal Freight Network - Rail Major Roads Railways Port Airport Intermodal terminal New or Improved intermodal terminals Town Southern Loddon Mallee Regional Strategic Plan 25
Page 1 and 2: Southern Loddon Mallee Regional Str
Page 3 and 4: contents About this Plan 4 Location
Page 5 and 6: STRaTegy 1: Manage our population g
Page 7 and 8: A snapshot of the Southern Loddon M
Page 9 and 10: our people The strong and widely ac
Page 11 and 12: Strategic Direction 1 - Manage our
Page 13 and 14: Basis for action: The projected gro
Page 15 and 16: MaNage OuR POPuLaTION gROwTh aND Se
Page 17 and 18: Basis for action: Our region has ma
Page 19 and 20: STReNgTheN OuR COMMuNITIeS, eSPeCIa
Page 21 and 22: Basis for action: Overall, the regi
Page 23: STReNgTheN aND DIveRSIfy OuR eCONOM
Page 27 and 28: IMPROve OuR INfRaSTRuCTuRe Telecomm
Page 29 and 30: IMPROve OuR INfRaSTRuCTuRe Southern
Page 31 and 32: Basis for action: Tertiary educatio
Page 33 and 34: IMPROve eDuCaTION aND TRaININg OuTC
Page 35 and 36: Basis for action: Our region’s na
Page 37 and 38: Working together to implement the p
Page 39 and 40: eferences Australian Bureau of Stat

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