Melbourne will overtake Sydney as Australia’s largest city within the next 20 years, according to Victorian premier John Brumby. Melbourne is now growing at 1500 people per week, much faster than previously forecast. The population is now expected to reach 6.2 million by 2020. House prices have been increasing rapidly, as have interest rates, and as a result housing has become unaffordable for many people.
Mr Brumby yesterday announced that land within various areas surrounding Melbourne would be zoned residential, thereby making available land for 90,000 new houses. However, the success of the Victorian government’s strategy depends on a number of different factors, including:
- availability of adequate water supplies (current plans to secure future water supply are not entirely convincing)
- road infrastructure and future road usage patterns (depending on whether environmental considerations will result in reduced usage of roads)
- public transport infrastructure (currently stretched to its limits, with no current plans for the massive upgrades necessary)
- provision of adequate community services in the growth corridors
There are significant challenges, but also significant opportunities for churches to help people as they transition to a new phase of life in the new developments. Will churches rise to the challenge, taking the uncomfortable and uncertain path of going to where people in need are, or will they stay within comfortable “Bible Belt” locations?