Mildura Future Ready: A funding plan to secure our region’s future

Published on 25 August 2017

MFR Facebook pics.jpg

Mildura Rural City Council has unveiled a plan to revive the region’s economic and social wellbeing by securing substantial investment in major infrastructure projects, generating more than 1000 jobs and $400 million in economic output.

Mildura Future Ready aims to attract $88 million in funding and make four priority projects a reality by 2022:

  • Stage 2 of the Mildura Riverfront Redevelopment
  • Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct
  • Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct
  • Return Mildura’s passenger train

All four projects will be lobbied for under the Mildura Future Ready banner.

Collectively, these projects have the capacity to transform the Mildura region and future proof it for decades to come.

Mildura Mayor Glenn Milne said Mildura Future Ready would help address a multitude of challenges and social issues facing our community.

“Now is the time for us to stand together and insist the state and federal governments ensure these projects go ahead,” Cr Milne said.

"An incredible amount of work has already been done and while each project will deliver important benefits on its own, collectively they will really transform Mildura.

“These four projects have been identified by the community as high priorities, and together they can deliver what the community requires to address our socio-economic problems.”

Economic diversity, a boost to tourism and visitor numbers, job creation, population growth, investment appeal, transport links, a more connected community and improved health and wellbeing are the cornerstones of Mildura Future Ready.

As Victoria’s third most socially disadvantaged local government area, Mildura’s long term growth in both population and economy is poor. But Cr Milne said Mildura Future Ready could turn that around and called for the public to back Council’s vision.

“We know our community faces challenges with high unemployment, drugs and alcohol, crime, gambling and health concerns. Rather than focussing on this, we want to transform our region so less people in our community have to face these issues in the future.

“The Mildura region has so much going for it and we don’t want to wait a minute longer to realise our potential.”

As part of the Mildura Future Ready plan, Council will work to further enhance strategic partnerships with industry, community and government bodies to build momentum and activate support for the four priority projects.

“It’s Council’s vision that the entire Mildura region will get behind this strategy and push to make Mildura Future Ready.”

 

Quotes attributable to Deputy Mayor Jason Modica

“Traditional funding strategies and funding pools clearly aren’t addressing the disturbing levels of social and economic disadvantage in our community. We owe it to our community, to our children and their future, to fix this.

“We have three major projects well advanced in planning and a great case for the return of our passenger rail service that, together, promise to provide a significant boost in jobs and therefore growth and improved quality of life for our residents.

“Mildura Future Ready is a bold and unprecedented approach to help us obtain funding for all four projects, which will have a massive impact on the wellbeing of our residents.”

 

Quotes attributable to Councillor for Economic Development and Tourism, Recreation and Sport Mark Eckel

“As a Councillor I continue to struggle with the fact that our municipality is the third most disadvantaged community in Victoria, with a host of serious social and economic issues that continue to hold us back.

“Mildura Future Ready provides a way to end this trend, delivering a mechanism to revive our social and economic wellbeing through the funding of four major projects that our community have been calling for.

“Collectively, they will drive our region forward, delivering jobs and growth, which are the cornerstones to social and economic wellbeing.”

 

Quotes attributable to Councillor for Community Wellbeing and Services Ali Cupper

“Mildura Future Ready is a fresh and ambitious approach to advocacy. The sky is the limit if we work together and Mildura Future Ready provides us with the perfect platform. As a Councillor, I am thrilled to be a part of it!

“For a long time, our isolation has set us back but Mildura Future Ready has the potential to turn the tide. By making Mildura a more inspiring place to live and visit, we can boost our economy, create jobs and improve our social and economic fortunes.”

 

Quotes attributable to Councillor for Community Development Min Poole

“We’ve been hearing and seeing for many years that our municipality is one of the most socially and economically disadvantaged, yet it’s a problem that continues, and is getting worse.

"A major shift in our thinking and funding strategy is needed to address this, and Mildura Future Ready is just that.

"By seeking to fund four significant projects that, collectively, the vast majority of our community have been calling for, we’ll create jobs and growth, ultimately lifting our community out of the social and economic disadvantage that has been plaguing us.”

 

For more information go to www.mildura.vic.gov.au/mildurafutureready

Media enquiries 
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689 
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au

 

Tagged as: