Situated on the northern fringe, Hume City provides visitors with their first glimpse of the greater Melbourne metropolis, whether they arrive by car along the Calder or Hume Freeways or fly into Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine.
For many, impressions of Hume are largely formed by the extensive industrial precinct along the busy Hume Highway. But this is a big mistake according to Chief Executive Officer Darrell Treloar. He points out that Hume is a highly diverse City with extensive rural holdings, rich heritage features and significant historical sites. Within its boundaries are some of the earliest homesteads built following European settlement.
“Certainly Hume is home to a significant slice of the State’s industry and we value that,” Darrell Treloar said. “But much of Hume is rural. “Even in our established suburban areas there is a range of wonderful open spaces, hidden creek valleys and woodlands.” The City includes older and new suburban residential development, satellite cities such as Sunbury, small farms and the historic township of Bulla.
Many newcomers to Australia have found a home in Hume. With over 30% of the population born outside Australia it is one of the most culturally diverse areas of Melbourne. It also includes a wide socio economic mix.
“Every festival held in Hume is a multicultural festival,” Darrell Treloar said. “Even though they may not be designated as such, the makeup of the population turns them into multicultural events.”
Darrell and his team are highly optimistic about the City’s future. They are enthusiastically pursuing a proactive program to encourage industrial and residential development, while directing considerable resources towards enhancing the natural and built environment.
Research into the community’s aspirations and expectations indicated that improvements to the City’s appearance and maintenance of footpaths were key issues for residents. Accordingly, $1 million per year has been allocated to upgrade footpaths over the next five years, and an extensive $2 million City Improvement Program is transforming the appearance of Hume.
“We have developed an outward focus to serve residents and to work in partnership with the community in developing community pride,” Darrell Treloar said.
He stressed that all these works are being carried out in a framework of financial accountability. The City has paid out its superannuation liability and, as part of its long term financial plan, intends to reduce its loan liability by $19.2 million over the next five years.
“Council is prepared to put itself on the line, to make public commitments on how it will work and be accountable to the community,” Darrell Treloar said. And the future looks bright with Hume having the highest investment levels of any Victorian city over the last two years.
Hume has also been recognised for many of its pioneering programs, in particular its workplace, home and community safety initiatives.
“After introducing a new structure 12 months ago there is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among Council staff about the future of Hume,” he said. “This is encouraged by a good relationship between Council and staff who have a shared vision, respect for each other’s roles, and appreciation of each other’s contribution.
“Staff are very committed to seeing this City gain its full potential. We would all like to see it recognised for the City it is, a significant contributor to Victoria and its economic prosperity and a model for social capital. We want to see people proud to be part of this City with others wanting to come and also be part of it.”
