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Help for the homeless Victoria University and Hope Street youth homelessness service have partnered together in a bit to prevent young people becoming homeless in Melbourne’s north-west. The program is spearheaded by Peter Gill, a senior lecturer in VU’s College of Health and Biomedicine who has spent nearly two decades researching homelessness. Under his direction, VU has partnered with Hope Street Youth & Family Services to implement the Homelessness Prevention Program in Melton and other hotspots. Full story: page 5
Peter Gill has spent nearly two decades researching homelessness. 252448 (Damjan Janevski)
Melton’s growing pains By Benjamin Millar Melton’s booming population growth is rapidly outpacing the capacity of vital social infrastructure, according to a new report by the state’s independent infrastructure advisory body. Infrastructure Victoria’s ‘Social infrastructure in Melbourne’s growth areas’ study has found Melton is one of seven growth areas where government’s need to boost spending to stop residents being left behind. Infrastructure Victoria chief executive Michel Masson said Melton currently has about one library per 90,000 residents,
compared to the state average of one per 41,000 persons. “Rapid urban expansion means social infrastructure has failed to keep pace with population increases in the new growth areas of Melton, Cardinia, Casey, Hume, Mitchell, Whittlesea and Wyndham,” he said. “It’s not enough to just plan and build housing in greenfield suburbs, all levels of government need to better integrate social infrastructure so that everyone has access to similar services, regardless of postcode.” More than one in three Melbourne children aged four years and under live in these local government areas, with the research showing
the trend set to continue as young families flock to the growth areas. Victoria’s population is projected to surge by 20 per cent in the next 15 years, with trailing investment in vital social infrastructure further widening the disadvantage gap. According to the authority’s report, Melton will need both a new library and new aquatic and recreation centre in the next five years, ideally located in growth areas to the east of Melton. Mr Masson said the benefits provided to communities and businesses of building such infrastructure far outweigh the costs, with every dollar invested in libraries earning
$4.30 in economic and social benefits and each swimming pool visit generating $26 in health benefits to the community. “Both libraries and aquatic centres provide essential services to the community and in many cases act as a community hub, improving physical and mental health and supporting productive and engaged communities,” he said. Mr Masson added that visitors also spend money at nearby local businesses, supporting local economies and jobs. “Co-locating facilities with other services such as primary health care, allied health or aged care services can provide additional community benefits.”
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