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90,000 Southbank population claim

A seemingly incorrect government population calculation for Southbank has clouded the release of Planning Minister Matthew Guy’s ‘Melbourne, Let’s Talk About the Future’ discussion paper.

In the paper, which was released in October, Southbank is being advised its population could reach more than 90,000 residents in the next 30 years.

Places Victoria, formally VicUrban, supplied the data, which states an increase of 80,000 residents between now and 2040.

Places Victoria says it got the number from the City of Melbourne’s 2010 Southbank Structure Plan.

It also told Southbank Local News that the numbers are a population capacity, not a forecast.

But not only was the population prediction in the Southbank Structure Plan 74,000 (some 16,000 less than the new figure) the council has also now taken the prediction out of its Amendment C171.

Southbank residents will be hoping the discussion paper is just that and, at the meetings held during November (the final meeting was held on the day Southbank Local News went to print), the Planning Minister was interested in the view of locals about population.

Mr Guy said the discussion paper was for all Melburnians to comment on and he hoped the paper got us thinking about the future of the city.

“The release of the first discussion paper will encourage Melburnians to again be a part of this process and will hopefully challenge the way we think about our state’s capital city and how it will grow in the future,” Mr Guy said.

“In getting on with developing a new metropolitan planning strategy, which will guide the growth of Melbourne over the next 40 years, there must be significant community consultation,” he added.

The discussion paper also covers the addition of urban renewal areas within the capital city zone, such as Fisherman’s Bend and E-Gate, to add to the renewal already taking place in Southbank and Docklands.

It also wants to hear from locals about how these new residential areas will be able to create and harbour a strong community.

The discussion paper was put together by the expert Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) and its chair, Professor Roz Hansen hoped to inspire debate about the future of the city.

“It will be important that the new metropolitan planning strategy has a clear implementation plan that can be delivered by this and successive governments,” Professor Hansen said.

The public is encouraged to make submissions to the discussion paper and can do so until next March.

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