The work of the Metropolitan Partnerships – to provide insightful advice on key issues affecting the local community – was recognised at the annual Metropolitan Partnerships dinner at Parliament House last month.
The six Metropolitan Partnerships are: Inner Metro, Inner South East, Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern.
Over the past two years they have brought together residents, businesses, community groups and councils to provide input on priorities within individual areas and more broadly across Melbourne. Metropolitan Partnerships engage with communities through annual assemblies, business and youth forums and online via the Engage Victoria website.
Some key achievements resulting from recommendations made by the partnerships include:
Investment in road and rail projects including North East Link, Melbourne Airport Rail and the Suburban Rail Loop.- Investments in world-class hospitals and health facilities, including a new $1.5 billion Footscray Hospital due to open in 2025.
- Assistance for the homeless with new investments including $3.5 million to provide a 24-hour refuge for young rough-sleepers in central Melbourne.
- Funded three-year old kinder introduced in the Victorian Budget 2019/20 under the most significant reforms in early childhood education seen in the state.
- The equivalent of 170 Royal Botanic Gardens in new parkland, walking trails, bike trails, pocket parks and dog parks to be created under a $154 million program to boost relaxation and exercise options in the suburbs.
Investment in road and rail projects including North East Link, Melbourne Airport Rail and the Suburban Rail Loop.The 2019 Metropolitan Partnerships Forums are taking place across Melbourne now, providing groups and individuals with the opportunity to engage with state and local government and to advise on priorities for jobs, services and infrastructure.
