Business Council of Australia survey finds Melburnians concerned with population

A new survey conducted by the Business Council of Australia has found that Melburnians are more concerned about population growth and urban congestion more than other capital city residents.

Melburnians are more concerned about population growth and urban congestion than other capital city residents, a new survey shows.

But despite angst over crowding and infrastructure, Melbourne’s residents are more optimistic about the health and direction of the economy than the average Australian, the poll says.

Today’s findings emerge from a survey conducted by the Business Council of Australia that attempts to capture the mood of residents on important economic and development issues.

It polled 2243 people nationwide, 331 of them from Melbourne.

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Management of the economy and of infrastructure development is a major concern for voters as the nation heads to the polls on May 18.

Half of Melbourne respondents said population growth was their top concern; the national average was 43 per cent.

And 41 per cent said urban congestion and infrastructure was a major concern; the national average was 29 per cent.

Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said Melburnians’ cost of living and electricity price concerns broadly reflected the national average, but they were clearly more frustrated about congestion.

“We need to build the right infrastructure at the right time in our cities like Melbourne, but also in our regions to encourage new arrivals to take the pressure off,” she told the Herald Sun.

Melburnians are more concerned about population growth and urban congestion than other capital city residents, a new survey shows. Picture: David Caird

“The private sector is willing and capable and has the capital to invest in major infrastructure projects. But it needs an end to ad hoc planning and uncertainty — the private sector needs confidence to invest in big projects without major risk.”

The state government will spend $1 million of taxpayers’ money this election on a media campaign for a “fair share” of infrastructure funding from Canberra.

Victoria will receive just 17.7 per cent of national infrastructure funding over the next five years, according to the state Treasury.

But the Morrison Government said last night Victoria would get 26.3 per cent of overall infrastructure funding from 2019-20 to 2022-23, relative to its population share.

Victoria Treasurer Tim Pallas said the state had been dudded by successive federal Liberal governments.

“If we’d got our fair share over the past five years, we’d have an extra $7 billion to spend on the projects Victorians needs,” he said.

“We’re the fastest-growing state and we’re building for that growth, but we can’t keep doing it on our own. We need the Commonwealth to give us our fair share.”

A Coalition spokesman said Victoria had pocketed “record infrastructure funding across the last six years and beyond” which will include $5 billion for the airport rail link and $2 billion for fast rail between Melbourne and Geelong.

“From 2013-14 to 2027-28, we have committed more than $27 billion to fund major projects in Victoria.”

In other survey findings, 34 per cent of Melburnians thought Australia was “heading in the wrong direction” and 43 per cent in the right direction.

National figures were 36 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.

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