Our city's big population needs big investment.
The City of Casey is Victoria’s most populous municipality. Home to more than 390,000 residents, our population is forecast to grow to more than 550,000 by 2041. With this growth it’s important that we advocate for projects which will benefit our community now and in the future.
At the City of Casey we advocate to influence the opinions and decisions of organisations (such as the State and Federal Governments) to achieve positive change and outcomes for our residents.
Community feedback has told us the key areas in which our community wants to see more investment – roads and public transport, local job opportunities, and health services and facilities.
The City of Casey strives to be as effective and informed as possible in this space. Working to understand the needs of the community directly from people who live in the region. Utilising this information to advocate directly to the State Government for funding, support and prioritisation of projects and initiatives.
Summary
What is Advocacy?
We advocate to state and federal government for funding and prioritisation to help support the growth within Casey. In Local Government, Advocacy refers to activities that aims to influence decisions within the political, economic and social landscape to improve people’s lives and deliver on established goals.
What is the role of Council in Advocacy?
Advocacy refers to council being the voice of the community and making strong, evidence-based arguments for the support and funding from higher levels of government to facilitate projects that have significant impacts on the lives of residents and visitor
How does Advocacy align to Council’s objectives?
Council is committed to meeting the expectations of the community to advocate on their behalf to deliver much-needed infrastructure and services to keep up with growth as identified in the Council Plan 2021-25. Strategic Objectives 1 and 4 are related to Advocacy
Key priorities
Our top three priorities includes the call for critical road improvements to mitigate transport congestion, boost jobs and to stimulate economic growth and the development of a premier sporting facility which will create more sporting opportunities for the local community.
- Thompsons Road upgrade and extension
With the population of the Casey Cardinia region predicted to reach almost 700,000 residents by 2036, prioritising the extension of Thompsons Road from Berwick-Cranbourne Road in Clyde to Koo Wee Rup Road in Pakenham will support much needed jobs and residential land development.
The upgrade and extension of Thompsons Road would create a high-capacity route from Carrum to Pakenham and would unlock more than 140,000 jobs and increase economic output by billions of dollars.
The City of Casey and Cardinia Shire Council consider the upgrade and extension of Thompsons Road as one of the region’s highest transport priorities. The project would facilitate new commercial and industrial activity and bring private investment to the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire, unlocking thousands of jobs and strengthening the regional economy.
- Clyde Road corridor upgrade
Clyde Road corridor is the most dangerous and congested north-south connection in the City of Casey. In the past five years, the population of Clyde and Clyde North has tripled, leading to record car ownership and increased pressure on Casey’s transport network.
As part of a recent city-wide survey, 88% of residents said that road congestion was a major issue in the local area. Overall, 95% said they would have reason to use Clyde Road/Berwick-Cranbourne Road, and 84% consider the upgrade of this corridor important to them.
We’re advocating for a critical upgrade to the Clyde Road Corridor, comprising Clyde Road, Berwick-Cranbourne Road and Clyde-Five Ways Road, to create a safer and more efficient road connection for commuters. The project will involve duplicating up to 14km of arterial road (up to three lanes in each direction), upgrading intersections, creating new shared path connections, bus stops and pedestrian crossings and other upgrades to improve safety and to cater for future growth.
- Women’s Centre of Excellence
The Women’s Centre of Excellence, Casey Fields, will be the premier women’s sporting facility in southeast Melbourne and will be the only rectangular venue capable of hosting elite level competition outside of the Melbourne CBD, holding up to 5,000 spectators. Funding is required to complete and enhance the $43.29 million already invested by the City of Casey and Melbourne City Football Club to develop and construct the precinct. This centre will provide new sporting opportunities for women and girls in soccer, rugby league and rugby union. Council partners of the project include Melbourne City Football Club, Melbourne Storm, Federation University and Casey Warriors.
Other projects
- View the list of ongoing projects
Clyde Rail Link
The above video is also available in: Dari, Malayalam, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese and Singhalese
Transport infrastructure has not kept up with growth in the City of Casey, leading to increased pressure on local roads and limited options for those without a car. Lack of access to a metropolitan rail line makes it hard for our community to access the jobs, education and services they need. A recent city-wide survey showed overwhelming support for Clyde Rail Link, with 97% of residents supporting the project.
Construction of the much-needed Clyde Rail Link, including new stations at Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Casey Fields and Clyde, will connect fast growing communities in the south east to essential services and jobs. Once complete, the Clyde Rail Link will provide more transport options and help reduce traffic congestion. The rail corridor to deliver this project already exists and the duplication of the train line to Cranbourne has been completed early so the project simply needs a commitment from the State and Federal governments for the extension to get underway.
Digital connectivity
The City of Casey is home to a growing number of residents living in mobile blackspots. Poor mobile coverage is particularly being felt in our fast-growing suburbs of Clyde and Clyde North. The City of Casey is seeking priority roll-out of mobile towers and improved connectivity as part of the Connecting Victoria program.
Jobs and skills in Casey
Locally based training and employment services are needed to help our growing community become ‘job ready’. Currently there are no jobs and skills centres between Dandenong and Warragul which means residents in the fastest growing communities in Melbourne's south east must travel in order access this critical service. Council is seeking an independent or not-for-profit jobs and skills centre to provide employment support services for our growing community. We are also advocating for ongoing funding for the Job Advocates service, which has referred more than 5,000 local residents to employment support services or opportunities in the past 16 months.
Social and affordable housing
The City of Casey is calling for urgent investment to stem the significant and growing shortfall of 6,000 affordable and social housing dwellings, with priority projects for women and families experiencing family violence and/or homelessness.
Community infrastructure
Funding and support is needed for community infrastructure projects such as recreation facilities and reserves, walking and cycling paths, trails and family and children’s centres to provide our community with access to the services they need.
Early years reforms
The City of Casey is seeking ongoing funding and support to plan for and implement early years reforms beginning in 2023, and to address workforce challenges across the sector.
Show your support
To ensure Casey’s community can become more connected, bold and resilient our Connecting Casey advocacy campaign will be a voice for advocacy and change.
Join the conversation and get involved
- Follow our Connecting Casey campaign on Facebook
- Share your experience or challenges about the priority projects above via email to [email protected]
Advocacy partners
Our Council Plan 2021-25 reflects how important our advocacy work is to our residents. Advocacy is a key strategic objective in the plan (see Strategic Objective 4).
City of Casey advocates for both locally based projects residents need and regionally significant projects that support growth in Melbourne’s south east.
We are proud members of:
Learn more
Visit our Corporate Planning and Reporting to access the Budget, Action Plan and various key strategies for the City of Casey.