Ballarat stretches its boundaries as equity calls

Melton, on the far north-western reaches of outer Melbourne, is the heartland of the federal government's higher education equity push. The statistics paint the picture: low Year 12 completion rates, low education and training participation rates, by and large low SES communities with high population growth forecasts, driven by young families. Projections suggest the population will more than double over the next 20 years - from 122,000 in 2009 to 255,000 in 2030 driving an age profile substantially younger than the state and Australia. Despite Melton-Moorabool's obvious attractions for a...