Moving Melton Transport Prospectus

The Moving Melton Transport Prospectus team was assembled in May of 2022 and consisted of advocacy, engineering, city strategy and communications staff from within the City of Melton.

The project team identified the problem to be solved and then applied the skills of each team member to develop the various components within the website. This included extensive coding, 3D digital imagery and modelling of data. We used an online tool, the Miro board, to design the page structure, share ideas and add new content. The team worked with a graphic designer for diagrams of the project designs, and a consultant to provide project costings and economic modelling. The team met on a regular basis to problem solve and design the structure of the website.

At the heart of the prospectus was the City of Melton’s own traffic modelling that used the latest traffic and population data to project model traffic flows and congestion. This demonstrated the benefits that investment in transport infrastructure will deliver across our road, rail, bus, and walking and cycling networks.

Individuals in the team were then empowered to take on the individual tasks that would deliver the website as visioned. This included 3D renders, project designs, traffic modelling and forecasts, coding of an interactive map, costings, branding and messaging. The website design and structure then brought together all internal and external information to deliver a cohesive interactive platform. We developed 3D renders for each project, the website and specialised coding for the interactive municipal map inhouse.

The design team met and exceeded the design brief by delivering a truly innovative approach to demonstrating the need for investment that our key stakeholders and other councils have applauded.

This prospectus has turned engagement on its head with its innovative design approach and it has set a new benchmark for how a local councils can advocate for transport investment. The transport prospectus was designed to take the work we were doing internally to Ministers, local members, planners, government departments, academics and decision makers. User-centric design principles were applied, considering the needs, preferences, and behaviours of users.

We used an interactive webpage to display the information and the reasoning for investment. Having a digital platform instead of a static advocacy document allowed us to provide the most up to date information, demonstrate the modelling and movement of traffic, demonstrate the pinch points in demand during peak hour periods and off peak, demonstrate the impact of investment over the short term and long term and allow people to personalise their transport user experience to demonstrate personalised impacts of projects on their transport experience.

Government departments, developers and local Members of Parliament have been able to use the infrastructure modelling and demonstrations in 3D renders to support their budget bids and business cases. The success of the Moving Melton Transport Prospectus will likely inspire other municipalities and governments to prioritise professional design in their infrastructure development projects.

Overall, the Moving Melton Transport Prospectus sets a new standard for design excellence, communicating the value and benefits of investing in professional design, not only in Victoria but also on a broader national and international scale.

This piece of work is changing the way we engage with decision makers and is helping local members with their advocacy. We have been able to continue to update the prospectus and evolve the site to reflect new announcements and new needs identified in our community.

The prospectus has helped council put forward its investment agenda in an innovative way. We have had significant traction and been able to clearly advocate that our strong population growth should be matched with investment in transport infrastructure. The digital format has enabled us to add new projects and respond to announcements. We are now updating the prospectus to include additional local roads that will help reduce congestion and better connect our community.

It is a unique design solution in that it takes the concept of advocacy to another level. Traditionally a council would make a list of projects and advocate for them. The digital prospectus brings all the road, public transport and active transport projects into one place and shows how they will work together.

We are using interactive elements that enable users to tailor the experience for them. For example, our bus reconfiguration enables a user to choose their current address and then see how a reconfiguration or additional investments will change the service for them. The City of Melton has just been confirmed as the fastest growing municipality in Australia with population growth of 11,642 in 2021, or a growth rate of 6.4%. Our population is projected to more than double from 192,865 to 450,823 residents by 2051, and ultimately over 500,000. Our prospectus enables users to hone into their particular area and see how they will be impacted by population change.

In summary, the Moving Melton Transport Prospectus offers an innovative and imaginative solution. The user-centred approach ensures that the design addresses the individual needs of users and responds to their circumstances. We consider it to be ground-breaking and the response we have received indicates we are getting real traction in our arguments for investment with local members already utilising the data in speeches.

The Moving Melton Transport Prospectus was designed to support the case for investment and extend our internal work to the wider community and decision-makers. The launch of the project's website in October 2022 proved to be a significant milestone, attracting over 83 stakeholders including academics, transport planners, MPs, developers, and councils who participated in an online forum. The website garnered substantial attention, with over 1,200 unique visitors in the first month alone.

The work undertaken for the project costings has already yielded positive outcomes. Government departments and academics expressed strong interest in utilising the project's modelling or collaborating with the council for further project development. The media coverage of the prospectus, highlighting the narrative of the underinvestment in the region's transport networks, further propelled the City of Melton into the spotlight during the state election campaign.

The digital format of the prospectus enables continuous updates and the addition of new projects, facilitating responses to announcements with demonstrations of impacts and project recommendations. This has gained credibility and the department is now utilizing the prospectus's modelling to support their business case for investment.

The ongoing update of the system to include local roads showcases the council's commitment to engaging the community and providing transparency regarding critical infrastructure investments. By offering clear time frames for project delivery, residents gain a better understanding of how their lives will be improved in terms of access to employment, education, and services.

The Moving Melton Transport Prospectus has played a pivotal role in engaging with decision makers. It has emerged as a powerful tool to address the needs of the residents and to advocate for improved transport connections. The project's success demonstrates the credibility of the information presented and underscores the importance of investing in professional design processes for positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes.