A NEW railway station at Toolern, upgrades to Rockbank station, improved public transport and a new employment precinct have been highlighted in a growth corridor plan for Melton.

Released last Wednesday, the Growth Area Authority's draft report Growth Corridor Plans-Managing Melbourne's Growth will guide urban growth to accommodate an anticipated population increase of two-million people over the next 30 to 40 years.

Melton mayor Justin Mammarella said job creation and rezoning opportunities for light industrial and commercial development were imperative. "Toolern is the biggest development in Australia at the moment, eventually becoming home to 60,000 under the one precinct structure plan. Obviously a train station is needed and welcomed for the area."

Cr Mammarella said he could not place enough emphasis on the need for local job creation. "Most residents travel to the CBD for jobs. We need to create those job opportunities here."

The Victorian Council of Social Service was pleased with the focus on town centres in new suburbs, but it warned of a mounting deficit in spending on public transport and other services. "There has been no new money for buses in growth suburbs of Melbourne in the past three years despite massive population growth," VCOSS chief executive Cathy Smith said. She said while developers would make some contribution to new infrastructure costs, the full cost of new schools, maternal and child health centres, hospitals, community services and public transport would be far in excess of their contribution.

Melton Residents Association president Peter Rowan said progress was inevitable but transport needed to be top priority. "My concern is that the government keeps up with the infrastructure, especially transport."