Mildura is expected to accommodate thousands of new homes over the next 25 years — but finding somewhere to build them might only be part of the challenge.
Mildura Rural City Council is calling for $41.6 million in State Government funding for roads, drainage and sewer infrastructure, saying the investment is needed to help unlock future residential development across Mildura, Irymple and Red Cliffs.
The push comes as the Victorian Government has set a target of 8,500 additional homes across the Mildura municipality by 2051.
That's a substantial amount of growth.
But before new subdivisions can simply spread across available land, the infrastructure underneath and around them needs to keep pace.
Roads, Drains and Sewers
Council's proposed $41.6 million Housing Growth Infrastructure Program is aimed at providing some of the essential infrastructure needed to support future housing growth.
That includes some of the less glamorous — but essential — parts of building new residential areas: stormwater drainage, roads and sewer infrastructure.
Drainage in particular becomes increasingly important as Mildura expands.
Council's own infrastructure planning has acknowledged locations where the existing drainage network has limited capacity, while continued urban development places additional demands on the system.
Anyone who has seen what can happen around parts of Mildura following a major downpour will understand why simply adding more houses without upgrading infrastructure isn't necessarily an option.
Irymple Expected to Keep Growing
Irymple is one area already being prepared for further residential development.
Council endorsed the Irymple Low Density Residential Development Plan in late 2025, establishing a framework for how future growth around the township could occur.
Planning is also required for the roads, intersections, shared paths, open spaces and other infrastructure that will eventually service developing areas.
Similar questions will continue to arise around Mildura and Red Cliffs as the region works towards its longer-term housing target.
The challenge isn't simply identifying land where houses can be built. It's making sure the infrastructure needed to support those houses is there when development occurs.
$41.6 Million Is a Big Ask
To put the size of Council's request into perspective, Mildura Rural City Council's entire 2026–27 capital works program is approximately $48.9 million.
Council is therefore seeking a State Government investment for housing infrastructure that is almost equivalent to a full year's worth of Council capital works.
And housing isn't the only project on Council's State Election wish list.
Council has identified three major advocacy priorities ahead of the 2026 Victorian State Election.
These include $41.6 million for housing-enabling infrastructure across Mildura, Irymple and Red Cliffs, $30 million towards major works at Mildura Airport and $3.2 million towards the proposed Mildura Riverfront Adventure Playspace.
Combined, that's $74.8 million in State Government funding being sought across the three priorities.
Where Will 8,500 Homes Go?
The bigger question for Sunraysia is what accommodating another 8,500 homes will eventually mean for the shape of our towns.
Some will inevitably come through new residential estates on the outskirts of Mildura and surrounding towns.
Others could come from higher-density development within established areas — something we're already starting to see proposed in Mildura's CBD.
Either way, roads, drainage, sewerage and other services will need to grow with the population.
The State Government's target stretches through to 2051, so those 8,500 homes certainly won't appear overnight.
But decisions being made now about where infrastructure money is spent could determine where much of Mildura's future housing is eventually built.
Where would you like to see Sunraysia's next major areas of residential growth — Mildura, Irymple, Red Cliffs, or more housing within our existing built-up areas?
