When Deni Dee returned home after spending four weeks in the intensive care unit at Royal Melbourne Hospital in 2023, the single mother of two needed a lot of care.
Dee, who had recently moved to the community of Mount Atkinson in Melbourne’s west, had no idea her new address would make getting that care so difficult.
Luis Enrique Ascui
The first out-of-home care nurse allocated to Dee was based in Werribee, almost 20 kilometres away. The nurse arrived almost an hour late to their initial appointment, having said over the phone that she was 15 minutes away.
“She was so apologetic. She said to me, ‘I don’t think you should even be under my catchment. I didn’t even know this area existed’,” Dee said.
It was the beginning of a pattern in which allied health providers and NDIS local area co-ordinators have consistently connected Dee with services in the city of Wyndham, even though she lives in the city of Melton.
Mount Atkinson lies 30 kilometres west of central Melbourne, just off the Western Highway in the city of Melton. But the new and growing estate is part of Truganina, a sprawling suburb of more than 40,000 people, most of whom live 20 to 30 minutes’ drive south in Wyndham.
A wedge of rural land separates Mount Atkinson from the more established parts of Truganina.
Residents say that their inclusion within the suburb causes a string of problems and inconveniences.
For several years, community members have been lobbying Melton City Council to help them split from Truganina and create a new suburb of their own.
In August 2024, councillors unanimously passed a motion calling for council to investigate the process for creating a new suburb in Mount Atkinson and changing its postcode, and addressing any impact in new and developing suburbs that straddle council boundaries.
Resident Christina (who asked for her surname to be kept private) said the change would foster a sense of identity, and recognise that Mount Atkinson orbits Melton and Caroline Springs, where most residents go to shop and take the train, not far-flung Wyndham.
“When I first bought the land I was told it was a community called Mount Atkinson. I don’t feel any connection to Truganina at all,” Christina says.
Christina sometimes drives through Truganina, along semi-rural roads to the Hoppers Crossing post office, because her mail is routinely redirected there.
It’s a 17-kilometre journey that can take anywhere between 25 and 40 minutes depending on traffic, even though her nearest post office is in Caroline Springs, less than 10 kilometres from her home.
“I always end up at Hoppers Crossing business centre. Honestly it’s a nightmare,” Christina says. “I’ve called Australia Post and it’s still an issue. Sometimes they blame the courier.”
Christina also has medication delivered to her address, which must be stored in a cool environment, giving the drive to Hoppers Crossing greater urgency.
At a meeting on Monday night, councillors considered a motion to apply to Geographic Names Victoria to split Mount Atkinson from Truganina.
Mount Atkinson ward councillor Phillip Zada told the meeting the decision “is not about lines on a map”.
“It is about identity. It is about clarity … And it is about whether we are prepared to stand up for a community that feels invisible,” he said.
The motion was defeated seven votes to three.
A council report prepared by officers warned that a suburb split would chew up limited council resources with no guarantee it would make life easier for residents.
“The rationale behind the proposal from some residents has included suggestions that it would improve access to goods and services such as postage, transport and health, create a greater sense of local identity, reduce insurance premiums and increase property valuations,” the council report stated.
“Officers’ assessment, including engagement with relevant service providers, confirms that a new suburb will not alleviate the key concerns raised by residents, with no resulting change in postcode, no change to postage or access to emergency health providers.”
Councillor Kathy Majdlik, who moved the original 2024 motion on potentially splitting Mount Atkinson, was among the majority who voted against the proposal, arguing “these are teething problems of a new suburb”.
“Even if council goes through this long process – and it is a long and arduous, resource-intensive process – and a new standalone suburb is created, the issues that the communities are currently facing may not be resolved,” she said.
A spokesperson for Geographic Names Victoria said any new or amended suburb must support clear boundaries for emergency services, mail delivery and the community.
The City of Melton created 11 new suburbs and changed boundaries for seven others in 2015, in response to population growth.
Dee, the Mount Atkinson resident, said the council vote was disappointing.
“They spoke of the cost to ratepayers, but we are ratepayers,” she said.
Australia Post said it plans to install new 24/7 parcel lockers in Mount Atkinson. When parcels are not collected at home, it is required to deliver them to a post office within the same postcode.
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Adam Carey is senior city reporter (suburban). He has held previous roles including education editor, state political correspondent and transport reporter. He joined The Age in 2007.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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