A Victorian council has discovered a winning formula for securing state and federal funding for transformational community projects.
Successful advocacy requires a strategic, coordinated approach that places community needs at the forefront. Brimbank City Council has been focusing its advocacy efforts on partnerships, fostering community support, and pushing for meaningful government action. And so far, it’s a winning strategy.
Melbourne’s western region is home to one of Australia’s fastest growing populations, that is projected to surge from over 665,000 residents in 2021 to 1.75 million in 2051 – more than doubling the population in just 30 years.
At the centre of the west is Brimbank, a municipality grappling with pockets of severe disadvantage due to limited transport options, high traffic congestion, inadequate public transport access, high unemployment, a lack of housing diversity and a less mature development market. This rapid population growth will place unprecedented pressure on local services, infrastructure, housing need and the community, especially in comparison to Melbourne’s east and south-east.
To ensure our community thrives, it is vital that infrastructure evolves alongside the community and stakeholders. Strong advocacy can be a key driver of infrastructure development and starts with a clear understanding of the resources already at hand to determine where you can leverage strengths and address gaps.
Know your strengths
Brimbank is home to nearly 200,000 residents and is a culturally diverse and vibrant municipality, with over a quarter of its population born overseas, located just 15-minutes west of the CBD and south of the Melbourne Airport, and adjacent to two major growth hubs, Melton and Wyndham.
Sunshine, a key suburb in Brimbank, is the heart of Melbourne’s booming west, and with ample land available for development, is ideal for the Australian and Victorian Governments’ plans to establish the area as a Priority Precinct and second CBD.
As well as being identified as a Priority Precinct and a popular choice as one of Melbourne’s second CBDs, Sunshine is earmarked as a Metropolitan Activity Centre, National Employment and Innovation Cluster, and a listed priority project by Infrastructure Australia.
Current government commitments constitute a once in a generation opportunity for investment and will drive significant change by establishing Sunshine as a major transport hub, while increasing job capacity, development for housing and educational prospects.
Ahead of major infrastructure projects such as the Melbourne Airport Rail that is planned to pass through Sunshine Station, Brimbank is in a prime location for transformational change.
Creating a shared vision
Brimbank City Council’s vision for Sunshine was developed in 2021 through extensive engagement, including community workshops that gathered over 1,400 pieces of feedback. We also conducted one-on-one interviews with Councillors and held briefings with over 600 individuals, spanning businesses, community and environment groups, developers, government, industry, investors, and landowners.
Guided by our Advocacy Framework, we identified key priorities and categorised them as Gold, Silver or Bronze – a ranking system that helps us determine the best course of action and what level of investment of advocacy time and resources would be applied to an issue or project. Gold signifies the ideal time to act, Silver focuses on leveraging influence and Bronze raises the profile of emerging issues. By grounding our vision with this approach, we ensure our advocacy is both relevant and timely, addressing the shared needs of both community and stakeholders.
For the Sunshine Precinct, which is a Gold Priority for Council, the time to act is now – the project is positioned to benefit from key investments and the momentum of transformational change is strong. If successful, Sunshine will become a key economic superhub that will increase capacity by an additional 29,000 jobs and housing for 43,000 new residents by 2051.
Leveraging existing infrastructure
A place-based approach is where we leverage existing programs in a specific location or interest area to harness strengths and address challenges. Sunshine’s central location in Melbourne’s west makes it a natural connector for the region. Its strong industrial sector plays a key role in Victoria’s economy, particularly in manufacturing, transport/warehousing and construction industries. Additionally, Brimbank has substantial government-owned and commercial land available for development and by leveraging this with major infrastructure investments makes it a prime candidate for city transformation.
Investments such as the construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail, the Sunshine Station Masterplan and the rebuild of Albion Station pave the way for the rest of Sunshine to be developed to meet future needs.
Melbourne Airport, Australia’s largest 24-hour airport, employs over 18,000 people, making it Victoria’s biggest single-site employer. Yet despite this, public transport options are limited, with only one bus route connecting the airport to the CBD, forcing most commuters to rely on personal vehicles, emphasising the need for improved connectivity and infrastructure.
The Australian Government has affirmed that the Sunshine Station Masterplan would be a “no regrets” strategy and is moving ahead with the first stage of the Melbourne Airport Rail project.
Building alliances
Meaningful engagement fosters long-term support, ensuring the community feels truly invested in the cause. And while it’s essential to build community interest and awareness early, it is equally important that advocacy remains grounded and impactful.
Our partnerships with community groups and peak bodies, such as the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance, the Greater Sunshine Community Alliance and LeadWest – an advocacy alliance between several councils from Melbourne’s west – have advanced the case for the Sunshine Precinct. Together, we amplify advocacy priorities through a range of channels, including letters to Ministers, submissions to parliamentary inquiries, direct discussions with local MPs, and advocacy campaigns across print, television, cinema advertising and social media.
Representing the community’s voice can be challenging, the focus should be on reflecting the majority’s perspective in an ethical, appropriate, and feasible manner.
Strategic partnerships, such as with the tourism and transport sectors, further strengthens our efforts.
Next steps
Following Brimbank’s strong advocacy efforts, the Australian Government recommitted to funding the construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail in November 2023, including $63.5 million from the State and Federal Governments to begin the Sunshine Station redevelopment.
However, the Victorian Government has since delayed the project by four years due to disagreements with the airport operator over the station’s location, throwing into question a range of other major commitments to Melbourne’s west.
So here’s what Brimbank is advocating to happen next:
- We urge the Victorian Government to prioritise the full delivery of the Sunshine Station Masterplan, given the strong developer interest, which will further unlocking jobs and housing growth in the Sunshine CBD.
- Invest to deliver the three Victorian Government-owned development sites; Station Place, Sun Crescent and Southern Village, each offering diverse spaces for new businesses and affordable housing to address the current housing crisis.
- Reassessment of the four-year delay to the Melbourne Airport Rail, ensuring it receives the same priority as the Suburban Rail Loop to ensure the increased transport needs due to the Third Runway can be bet without causing further congestion to the Tullamarine Freeway.
- Begin works now, so that the return on investment can start to be realised in the West and by the State as soon as possible.
