Melbourne's west is shaping up as one of the key battlegrounds of the state election.
After two years of lockdowns, a population boom in the area, a cost-of-living crisis and a rise in independents, it's an area where Labor, the Coalition and independents will be hopeful of picking up seats.
Many residents said they have felt neglected by the major parties for decades. There is also growing frustration with a lack of suitable transport and health infrastructure.
That crunch is likely to be felt in places like Melton, about 35 kilometres from the CBD. Some analysts predict the city's population of 216,000 could swell to 450,000 by 2051.
This month, ABC reporters met with residents in Melton to hear some of their priorities for the state election.
Manjit Dhillon, petrol station manager
Transport is often front-of-mind for Manjit Dhillon.
While he doesn't set the local petrol prices, he's often the one who hears first-hand what customers think about them.
"All the time people come in, and they're not happy," he said with a chuckle.
The cost of driving around is a challenge, but there is another glaring issue — there simply aren't enough train and bus services in the area.
Mr Dhillon sees the impact of this at the local Sikh temple, where he volunteers.
"Most elderly people can't get to the temple on big days. They have to wait for their children to come home from work to take them," he said.
Mr Dhillon, who has lived in the area for seven years, said Melton has "grown up a bit too quick".
He believes headline transport policies, such as the Coalition's $2 daily fare cap pledge, will attract support but won't fix the bigger problem in the area.
"If you haven't got the transport infrastructure then what is the point? It's like offering scotch to someone who doesn't drink," he said.
Lisa Houston, business owner
Six months after Lisa Houston's family-run bar and bowling alley opened in Melton, it was shut because of lockdowns.
She described the following 18 months as a "rollercoaster of emotions" and was relieved the business survived.
Rising inflation is the next big challenge — it has a dual impact of sending business costs up while causing customer spending to go down. It's not just higher electricity prices, even the alcohol and chicken schnitzels are more expensive to buy.
Ms Houston regards trust as a major election issue.
Right now, Ms Houston has no trust in the Andrews government, who she accuses of "fear mongering" during lockdowns.
"I don't like Dan's draconian ways," she said.
Ms Houston believes the opposition presents a viable alternative for the future, but remains wary of all politicians who make big promises.
"It's just rhetoric. They can tell us anything, because they'll just backflip," Ms Houston said.
Thomas Woof, disability advocate
Thomas Woof is a busy man. The 28-year-old works three jobs and has spent years passionately advocating for better disability services in Melton.
Mr Woof loves Melton — he's spent his entire life there.
"We've got such nice parks, a nice lake, a nice shopping centre. You'll feel welcome. It's a happy place and a safe community," he said.
Mr Woof believes things could be much better, though. Through his years of campaigning he's developed a view that "the older generation don't like to hear young people's voices".
He said better transport will make a huge difference to the lives of people with disabilities, allowing them to better participate in the community.
Mr Woof also believes governments need to do more to increase local support services like speech and occupational therapists, who often have long waiting lists.
Tam Tuaoi, youth worker
Some of Mr Woof's views are echoed by Tam Tuaoi, a youth worker with the Centre for Multicultural Youth.
Ms Tuaoi spends a lot of time with disengaged Pasifika youth, many of whom continue to feel the mental health impacts of the pandemic.
"We need more crime prevention programs out here," she said.
Ms Tuaoi acknowledges there is no easy way to fix the problem, but she believes more local jobs and activities for teenagers could help.
"We're a growing city but I feel like [leaders] have only targeted a certain demographic," she said.
"They've targeted young families with young children. But when it comes to high school-aged and 20 and above, there's not many spaces for them to hang out."
Muhammed Edwars, Islamic school principal
When Muhammed Edwars thinks about the short-term needs of his school, he sees the fences that need to be fixed and the students who are desperate for better sporting facilities.
While he doesn't expect a state government to fix all the school's issues, he hopes whoever wins the next election will look to fix a long-term problem that Mr Edwars describes as "segregation in the community".
Mr Edwars says some in his Islamic school community suffer racist abuse on a regular basis.
"Some people feel unwelcome," he said.
Mr Edwars says politicians also need to do a better job of working with multicultural community leaders.
"Sometimes you feel you're involved at the end of the decision-making process. It feels like it's already been decided. We'd like to be more involved in consultation," he said.
As part of the ABC’s coverage of the Victorian state election on November 26, our reporters will be visiting suburbs and towns across Victoria, talking to residents about the issues that matter to them. We will also be asking for your opinions through the ABC News website, social media and on local radio. These insights will help to shape our coverage and set the news agenda.
