Mildura, Ballarat, Bendigo: How development has changed regional Vic

If you didn’t see it, you wouldn’t believe it. Stunning aerial photographs reveal just how much country Victoria has changed in the past decade. SEE THE PICTURES.

Victoria is pegged as the fastest growing state in Australia with aerial photos released from Nearmap showing why.

Since 2011 the state has recorded one million new residents and is expected to add another million by 2026.

And now people are leaving the city to move to fringe suburbs or to regional Victoria.

The latest Future Victoria predictions show that by 2056 regional Victoria’s population will expand from 1.5 million in 2018 to 2.2 million in 2026.

These images, courtesy of Nearmap, reveal the stark changes seen in regional areas and showcase a decade of growth.

Cowes, Phillip Island

At the start of the century, Phillip Island had a population of less than 9000 residents.

Today the population stands at 12,030 people with nearly a third of the population living in Cowes.

Major upgrades are being seen around the island with a new community centre set to open this year expected to generate $51.8 million to the Bass Coast economy.

Phillip Island continues to be a major tourist destination for people around the state and records about 3.5 million visitors per year.

Delacombe

Delacombe, on the southwest rural-urban fringe of Ballarat, is rapidly growing with predictions it will more than double its size in the next 20 years.

According to a report released from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), this suburb is among the largest regional growth areas in the state.

As seen in the image comparison, residential growth has taken over an area which was vacant land just a decade ago.

Doreen

About 26km from Melbourne, Doreen is one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

The image shows just how much growth the area has seen in the past decade with the region showing no signs of slowing down.

It is predicted the suburb will see an increase in population size by 6900 by 2036 and an increase in the median age of residents, from 29 to 35 years.

 Drysdale 

Drysdale has also seen a significant growth rate in the past 10 years with new properties and infrastructure welcoming new residents to the town.

The rural town near Geelong is located on the Bellarine Peninsula.

For many years the town was a travel destination for people looking for a water-town escape, but now the town has become a part of the urban sprawl along the Port Phillip Bay shoreline.

Jackass Flat, Eaglehawk

Jackass Flat is a suburb in Greater Bendigo.

The town has seen significant increase in population size with about 917 people coming to the region from 2006-2016.

The local council enforce development standards which aim to expand the rural town in the natural landscape.

The vision says developments must create a “pattern of settlement that respects and protects the existing and valued natural setting”.

“Future living will largely be in bush environment, designed to build a sense of place by preserving a bush horizon throughout the development area.”

Manor Lakes

Manor Lakes promotes “modern Australian living” and has seen young families moving to new estates in the town.

Located in the city of Wyndham it’s just 40 minutes from Melbourne that offers residents a city away from the city with schools, restaurants and a well-known shopping district.

Melton West

Melton West has expanded in the past decade, pushing the residential area onto once-barren land to accommodate its growing population.

This area and the city of Wyndham have experienced population growth of more than 4.5 per cent over the past year which led to local councils asking the state and federal governments for extra funding in the towns.

House prices in Melton West, the town 40km from west of Melbourne, experienced an 8.9 per cent growth in 2021 and has being pegged as a suburb worth investing in.

Mildura 

Mildura sits on the Victorian side of the Murray River and boasts picturesque views with a small-town feel, but the rate of growth is challenging that status.

The population is increasing in density by an average of 10 per cent each year.

At the beginning of the last decade, the population was about 31,000 people but in 2021 it was recorded at 84,930 residents.

Now the town has a population density of three people per square metre, making it the most dense regional cities in Victoria.

The pulling factors as to why people are making the move to the border town is for its affordability and education opportunities.

Not only are the costs of living — like rent — lower than other towns, but Mildura has a TAFE and other university education institutions on its doorstep.

Pakenham

Pakenham is considered a satellite suburb of Melbourne situated on the West Gippsland region of Victoria.

This town is also considered a major-growth area in the outer-Melbourne district and draws families searching for a “country” feel.

The town has seen growth begin in the late 1900s as it became a growth corridor of planned urban expansion and schools, train lines and eventually the Princes Highway were added to the suburb.

Now the town is predicted to have 59,376 residents with this expected to grow by about 35,000 people in the next twenty years.

Safety Beach, Mornington Peninsula 

The main attraction of this town is in the name, it offers people a protective cove to enjoy the calm waters of the Mornington Peninsula.

For this reason, it draws many young families to the area.

Safety Beach makes up for 4821 of a total of 168,862 people living in the Mornington Peninsula and expects to grow in coming years.

As seen in the comparative images of the beachside town, the population density is high with 343.4 people living within one square kilometres of one another.

Torquay

Torquay is located 21km south of Geelong, facing the Bass Strait on the end of the Great Ocean Road.

According to a new federal government report, the coast-town is at the centre of one of the biggest population booms in the country.

The population increase was seen of more than 67 per cent between 2001 and 2013, then from 2011 to 2016 the town recorded a growth rate of 30.8 per cent.

Predictions remain on the same trajectory today with a consistent trend indicating the population will be more than 20,000 in 2022 and will reach about 25,000 to 28,000 by 2040.

Wangaratta 

Wangaratta is becoming an increasingly population destination for travellers because of its wineries, quaint villages and local produce.

It’s located in the northeast of the state and now is becoming home to more residents every year.

Population estimates now suggest the town will be home to 32,200 by 2036, up about 3500 from 2020.

Nearmap aims to capture aerial imagery of major natural disasters in Australia that have significant impact on the surrounding landscape, including property, infrastructure and communities.

The company provides businesses access to high resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand, and North America.