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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n It\u2019s taken Mandy McCracken years to assemble her dedicated support team of disability and allied health workers in her suburb of Kilmore East.<\/p>\n The mother of three, who is a quadruple amputee, has lived in the area for more than two decades. What was once a small regional council is now expected to be home to more than 221,000 people by 2045. But many locals, including McCracken, are concerned the development of key infrastructure isn\u2019t on track with projected growth.<\/p>\n McCracken said that while more GP clinics were opening, and there were plans to develop new schools, many things still needed improvement and the new facilities were happening in a \u201ctrickle\u201d, rather than keeping pace.<\/p>\n Occupational therapists and physiotherapist have long waiting periods. Accessible transport options, such as taxis to attend a medical appointment, need to be booked weeks in advance. Primary schools are overflowing, and an inadequate public transport system makes travelling difficult \u2013 particularly for those with disabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe as residents are beginning to realise just how big a problem it is,\u201d McCracken said. \u201cNow that we\u2019ve got a flood of population coming, a trickle is just not going to be enough.\u201d <\/p>\n Kilmore falls within the Mitchell Shire Council in Melbourne\u2019s north, which also includes the suburbs of Beveridge, Wallan and Seymour. It is Melbourne\u2019s least populated metropolitan council, but its size is projected to increase by 245 per cent over the next two decades by demographic data company Informed Decisions (ID), the biggest percentage increase in the state.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n More than 157,000 new residents are expected to move to the area by 2045, according to ID data, a number topped by only Melton and Casey.<\/p>\n Although Mitchell\u2019s population is set to boom, Mayor John Dougall said there was inadequate financial support from the state and federal governments when it came to investment in health and human services within the region.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re about to undergo unprecedented growth in a period of fiscal austerity, and we\u2019ve not been provided guarantees about how that future will roll out,\u201d Dougall said.<\/p>\n The development of integral health, education and community infrastructure needed to be fast-tracked to keep up with growth, the mayor said. In particular, there is a critical need for more education facilities, a major hospital and more community hubs.<\/p>\n Mitchell Shire has 14 primary schools and only three secondary schools. The closest major hospital, Northern Hospital in Epping, which is more than 30 kilometres from the edge of the council area. Many residents rely on smaller rural health facilities in Kilmore and Seymour.<\/p>\n A new report<\/a> examining the impact the predicted growth, compiled by an independent consultant on behalf of the council, estimates the state government will need to provide 16 new public schools (14 primary and two secondary) to keep pace with expected population growth, and expand medical facilities.<\/p>\n A key recommendation from the report was the introduction of a northern growth corridor infrastructure commission \u2013 a dedicated intergovernmental body that would fast-track key infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n While councils such as Wyndham, Casey and Hume were once flagged as the state\u2019s primary expansion areas, Dougall said Mitchell Shire was the \u201cnew growth front\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no dedicated regional hospital,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s no dedicated post-schooling education provider \u2026 These are big, big gaps, and they really provide a good example of the need to plan very deliberately.\u201d<\/p>\n The council report argues that adequate future planning is made more difficult by the area\u2019s geographic positioning between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Dougall said that the municipality often fell into a \u201cblack spot\u201d when it came to funding programs and data collection.<\/p>\n Craig Kenny, a local government adviser and expert who authored Mitchell Shire\u2019s report, said the area\u2019s geographical placement was a reason why its future needed to be considered on a wider, holistic scale.<\/p>\n For example, in the federal government\u2019s Primary Health Network program<\/a> \u2013 which are independent organisations introduced to manage health services \u2013 Mitchell Council is split between the Eastern Melbourne and Murray regions. These regions are headquartered in Box Hill and Bendigo, neither of which are located in Mitchell. Kenny said this meant the area was often overlooked or not prioritised.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is this issue of the fracturing of the planning framework for most government departments, and it needs that holistic examination,\u201d Kenny said.<\/p>\n \u201cBusiness-as-usual planning won\u2019t fix this. Business-as-usual planning has caused the problem. If you go to Beveridge, physical infrastructure \u2026 has not been provided for this emerging community.\u201d<\/p>\n A Victorian government spokesperson told this masthead that this year\u2019s state budget, which is due to be handed down on Tuesday, would bring investment to Melbourne\u2019s northern suburbs, including the Mitchell Shire area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re investing in our growing suburbs to deliver better healthcare, better public transport and better services,\u201d the spokesperson said, adding that the report\u2019s sixth recommendation around integrated service planning had already been fulfilled.<\/p>\n McCracken said that locals would like to see all levels of government working together to develop a planning system that matched the future of the region.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re growing this community, which is fabulous, we need to have the infrastructure to support it. So that everyone gets to thrive,\u201d McCracken said.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Kilmore](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1468e5191e910c060288c0224f0d03e5974c9ff9.jpeg\")
Kilmore East resident Mandy McCracken says health services are difficult to access for her community. Justin McManus<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3d31889b5c58b29e5226fce13c5ddd66247e1428.jpeg\")
A new housing development in the Mitchell Shire suburb of Beveridge. Joe Armao<\/p>\n