ALMOST 18 months ago, I wrote a column referencing the incredible population growth still underway in Melbourne, and the challenges all three levels of government face in injecting billions of dollars into supporting this boom, while continuing to cater for the needs of regional Victoria.
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I doubt there's been a time when more of our hard earned taxpayers' dollars has been allocated to the infrastructure deemed necessary to support this expansion.
Approximately 125,000 extra people call Melbourne home today than at this time last year, and the city is on track to overtake Sydney in the foreseeable future.
That's not necessarily a claim to fame everyone wants to see become a reality.
We all know this level of growth is not sustainable, it's not ideal and that more needs to be done to promote alternatives, including those in regional Victoria.
The boom in Melbourne risks overshadowing development in and of the regions.
The government needs to invest more in infrastructure that supports regional communities too, and given how topical transport is - improving the Bendigo to Melbourne rail line is a critical component of our region's future success and needs.
But some would say improving is perhaps not the right word to use when it comes to any examination of the Bendigo rail corridor - perhaps restoring is more apt.
For example, none of us can doubt the appeal of the Melbourne-focused Suburban Rail Loop, but for commuters on the Bendigo line to share in the benefits of this massive investment, we must first get to Melbourne, on time, and on increasingly crowded trains (and roads).
It's also worth noting that a project with a $50 billion price tag represents roughly $10k for each and every Melburnian.
It also equates to about a $1.2 billion spend in Bendigo if we worked off a $10,000 per person investment.
You can get a lot of schools, hospitals, roads and rail in Bendigo for that amount of cash.
An increasing number of Bendigo residents rely on those two narrow lines of track that are the main Bendigo to Melbourne railway line to get to work every day.
Getting there faster has been a goal for too long.
It's well known how the pressures upon timetables and on the passing loops north of Kyneton limit the capacity of the system to cope, but as we knuckle down into 2020 and the state government continues to do the numbers around the 2020 Victorian budget, is it unrealistic to hope there's an allocation for more improvements to our rail corridor?
While the advent of the NBN might once have heralded a new era and opportunity to save on travel and work from home more often, the demand for trail travel has not abated - yet.
The 2020 budget shapes to be a difficult one for the government, as last year's slump in the Melbourne property market will have delivered a blow to the stamp duty windfall governments have come to appreciate year after year.
Away from politics, and today brings with it the historic AFLW clash at Bendigo's picturesque Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The competition's organisers should be congratulated for bringing the game between Richmond and Geelong out of Melbourne and to our beautiful city, and we hope footy fans turn out in droves to support both teams, and especially enjoy the chance to watch the highest level of female football right here in our own backyard.
In Melbourne, Australia continues its march towards (hopefully) the final of the Women's T20 World Cup, albeit without pace bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, our own home-grown cricket hero, forced to step aside from national duties after sustaining an injury.
Tayla's withdrawal on the eve of one of the biggest opportunities to come her way in a career that still has so much to offer will hopefully spur her on towards wanting even more success and victories.
The speedster is on the cusp of becoming the world's fastest female bowler, while still a youthful 21 years of age.
One year ago, Tayla was honoured as part of the 2019 Peak Bendigo Sports Star of the Year awards night, and she was a finalist again at last night's 2020 awards night.
Future success and sporting glory are surely hers to chase.
Injuries and setbacks can sometimes define a champion, not for what they miss, but for how they channel their adversity into reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.