26.03.2024Benchmarking Melbourne 2024 report
To read Benchmarking Melbourne 2024 and Media Release, please follow these links:
To listen, watch, and read about the Benchmarking Report, please follow these links:
Read the Herald Sun articles; “Our city on of the World’s greats…” and “Whole new sprawl game”, and infographic, “How Melbourne stacks up against its peers” here
Read the Herald Sun editorial, “We cannot live on past glories” and opinion piece by Mark Melvin, “A great city can’t stand still” here
Read the Herald Sun online article and cast your votes here
Listen to the 3AW interview with Tom Elliott and Mark Melvin here
Listen to the ABC Radio interview with Sammy J and Mark Melvin here
Watch 7News report here
Watch 7News live interview with Mark Melvin here
Watch 9News nightly news report here
Watch 10News First Melbourne report here
Read the Herald Sun article, “Experts call for better bus use” here
The Committee, together with partner JLL, engaged The Business of Cities to produce Benchmarking Melbourne 2024, the third report of its kind, to understand Melbourne’s performance among a peer group of 20 global cities.
This latest report highlights that Melbourne continues to offer compelling cultural and sporting experiences, ranking 4th of 20 cities for its experience economy. With the city’s array of world-class major events, including the Australian Open, Boxing Day Test, Formula One Grand Prix and Spring Racing Carnival, as well as the Fashion Festival, Flower and Garden Show, Food and Wine Festival and the AFL season, this result is testament to our fabulous events industry.
Melbourne also continues to be recognised internationally for its mix of open spaces, amenities, education and health facilities, and its friendly people.
The report also addresses areas that require attention. One issue firmly under the spotlight is the city’s growth model, with Melbourne now sprawling faster than its peer cities. With the fourth largest footprint among its 20 peers, continued urban expansion poses risks to Melbourne’s future prosperity and social fabric. Inadequate infrastructure and services in outer areas and growth corridors have led to unequal access to public transport, amenity, essential services and green spaces.
As Melbourne’s population continues to surge towards 9 million by mid-century, maintaining our long-term prosperity and social cohesion depends on developing a more sustainable growth model. Failure to address this challenge may erode confidence among current and future generations of people, businesses and investors. It might also make it more difficult to attract and retain migrants, visitors, international students and Melburnians.
Ultimately, Melbourne needs a bold and collaborative vision for how it will accommodate growth while maintaining its high standard of living. Get this right and the future looks bright. Get it wrong and we will be overtaken on a range of measures by ambitious regional and global cities.
In its media release, the Committee recognises Melbourne’s fantastic offerings and acknowledges the areas that the city performs well in. It also stresses the need for Melbourne to keep up with competing peer cities, with issues of public transport access and housing affordability being areas of focus. It also highlights the need for a competitive corporate and investment environment, and for the city to retain the conditions that make it attractive to talent.
