By Benjamin Millar
Maribyrnong’s industrial roots and multicultural make-up are at the heart of a community-driven vision that will guide planning for the next 20 years.
The Maribyrnong 2040 Community Plan, unveiled at last week’s council meeting, is a long-term strategy to support service and infrastructure planning.
Capturing the community’s “vision and aspirations to 2040”, the plan stated that Maribyrnong will experience enormous change and growth in the next 20 years. Maribyrnong 2040 – the first community plan for Maribyrnong – will be used to develop the council’s four-year plans.
The plan was developed this year by a 30-member community panel drawn from a range of demographics and suburbs across the municipality.
The main topics raised included multiculturalism, planning and heritage, connectivity and transport, as well as parking and truck routes.
The panel identified five guiding themes for focus: active citizenship, living well, linking people and places, shaping natural and built environments, and working and learning.
The overarching vision developed by the panel was for “a city where history and differences are embraced, forming the foundations from which vibrant, diverse and sustainable communities thrive”.
