Ringwood Public Meeting - Population growth impact on local communities

Hon. Kelvin Thomson is conducting a Victoria First public meeting about population concerns in Ringwood on Saturday 29th March 2014, 2PM-4PM. at Central Ringwood Community Centre, Bedford Park, Bedford Rd. Ringwood. Professor Buxton will be the main speaker. Subject: The impact of Melbourne's population growth on local communities. If you are concerned about population growth, planning issues, over-development, and the loss of residents' rights in Ringwood, please come along. If you are bothered by how growth impacts wildlife, this meeting is for you as well.

The Hon. Kelvin Thomson, Federal
Member for Wills, invites you to come and join Victoria First Inc., at a public meeting on Saturday, 29th March at 2.00PM to 4.00PM at Central Ringwood Commuity Centre, Bedford Park, Bedford Road, Ringwood.[1]

Professor Buxton [2] will speak on “The Impact of Melbourne’s Population Growth on local communities”.

Victoria First putting Ringwood First

Federal Member for Wills, and President of the growing grassroots action group Victoria First, Kelvin Thomson, today announced Victoria First will be holding its next public meeting in Ringwood, to highlight the impacts of rapid population growth; traffic congestion, over development, increasing utility bills and stress on local services.

Special Guest Speaker: Professor Michael Buxton, RMIT University, will speak on “the impact of Melbourne’s population growth on local communities”. Professor Buxton has had a distinguished academic and government career, and is an acknowledged expert on Melbourne planning issues.

“Melbourne’s eastern suburbs are feeling first-hand the consequences of rapid and unsustainable population growth. Growth in the outer suburbs contributed greatly to Victoria's population growth between June 2011 and June 2012”,

Mr Thomson said.

“The City of Maroondah is forecast to grow from 110,270, in 2014 to 125,458 by 2031. This is a 13.77% increase in population.

“This week’s Maroondah Leader article, ‘Apartment demand continues to surge’, highlighted these pressures. Ringwood is experiencing high demand for apartments. Valuer General Figures show that unit sales in Ringwood increased by 11% last year. Across the Ringwood activity Centre there are 14 completed and 16 permits approved residential developments, representing 968 dwellings”,

Mr Thomson said.

“This high density development means more cars on local roads, more traffic congestion, higher home prices, more multi-dwelling developments, and more pressure on local resources. A recent survey by the Eastern Transport Coalition of 1,000 eastern suburb residents found 64% of people rated improved public transport as a top priority, along with education, water, new roads and environment.

Victoria First is a new not-for-profit NGO established to safeguard and enhance Victoria’s way of life. Victoria First is fighting to halt rapid population growth, over development, reduce traffic congestion, stop the increasing cost of council rates, rising utility bills, and seeking to protect Victoria’s unique animals and plants.

Mr Thomson concluded by saying that he encourages residents to come along attend the meeting and join Victoria First, which is campaigning on the issues that matter to all residents and future generations.

Notes and directions

[1] (Melways 49 J8. Nearest railway station Ringwood.
Car Parking available next to Centre)

[2] Professor Michael Buxton joined RMIT in 1998 after 12 years in senior management with Victorian Government Planning and Environment agencies, and with the Victorian Environment Protection Authority. He formerly headed the intergovernmental process for developing Australia’s National Greenhouse Strategy, and the group responsible for the development and implementation of environmental policy in Victoria. He was an elected Victorian local government councilor and Mayor for ten years and was a member of the Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority for six years. He is a former lecturer at Monash University, Melbourne.

Michael heads a research team carrying out extensive research into peri-urban regions, including a national study titled Change and Continuity in Peri-Urban Australia. This team’s national and Victorian studies have investigated the nature and extent of contemporary peri-urban regions in Australia; identified future patterns of socio-economic, environmental change in peri-urban landscapes; and developed scenarios for future land use and management based on 'business as usual', interventionist and deregulated options. Change and Continuity in Peri-Urban Australia was a collaborative project between RMIT and Griffith Universities, funded by Land and Water Australia.