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March 2014

Contents

Introduction 4

Regions by RWMG and councils 5

SV contacts for regions (March 2014) 7

Acronyms 9

Barwon South West 11 Regional features 12 Key facts 13 Demography 13 Political context 14 Regional context 14 Regional priorities 15 Economic profile 16 Industry profile by subregion 16 Funded sustainability project examples 17 SWOT analysis 18

Gippsland 19 Regional features 20 Key facts 21 Demography 21 Political context 22 Regional context 22 Regional priorities 23 Economic profile 23 Industry profile 24 Key Points 25 Funded sustainability project examples 26 SWOT analysis 27

Grampians 28 Regional features 29 Key facts 31 Demography 31 Political context 32 Regional context 33 Regional priorities 33 Economic profile 34 Funded sustainability project examples 35 SWOT analysis 36

Hume 37 Regional features 38 Key facts 39 Demography 40 Political context 40 Regional priorities 41 Economic profile 42 Funded sustainability project examples 43 SWOT analysis 44

Loddon Mallee 46 Regional features 47 Key facts 48 Demography 49 Political context 49 Regional context 50 Regional priorities 50 Economic profile 51 Funded sustainability project examples 51 SWOT analysis 53

Further reading 54

Sustainability Victoria

Level 28, Urban Workshop

50 Lonsdale Street Melbourne 3000

T 1300 363 744

E [email protected]

sustainability.vic.gov.au

© Sustainability Victoria 2014

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Disclaimer

Information in this document is current as at February 2014. While all professional care has been

taken in preparing this document, Sustainability Victoria accepts no liability for loss or damages

incurred as a result of reliance placed upon its content.

mailto:[email protected]

Introduction

This document provides a snapshot of the five Sustainability Victoria (SV) regions across the state -

Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume and Loddon Mallee. It is not an exhaustive

compilation of regional information, but instead focuses on information that is considered relevant to

SV’s priority outcomes in integrated waste management and resource efficiency.

It has been produced by SV’s Strategic Coordinators based in the regions. Information has been

drawn from plans and strategies, including regional strategic plans and growth plans, and other

documents, as well as discussions with key regional personnel.

This document aims to assist SV staff to understand regional conditions so that SV and our

stakeholders (e.g. Regional Waste Management Groups) can

• Work more effectively across the portfolio

• Design and develop relevant programs and projects

• Prepare their business plans.

Regions by RWMG and councils

Region RWMG and Executive Officer LGA/councils

Barwon South

West

*Barwon RWMG

Enzo Bruscella

Colac Otway Shire Council

Greater Geelong City Council

Queenscliffe Borough Council

Surf Coast Shire Council

*South Western RWMG

(Waste Reduction Group)

Cydoni Edwards

Corangamite Shire Council

Glenelg Shire Council

Moyne Shire Council

Southern Grampians Shire Council

Warrnambool City Council

Gippsland *Gippsland RWMG

Mathew Peake

Bass Coast Shire Council

Baw Baw Shire Council

East Gippsland Shire Council

Latrobe City Council

South Gippsland Shire Council

Wellington Shire Council

Grampians *Desert Fringe RWMG

Wayne Lovett

Hindmarsh Shire Council

West Wimmera Shire Council

*Grampians RWMG

Kerrie Tomkins

Ararat Rural City Council

Horsham Rural City Council

Northern Grampians Shire Council

Yarriambiack Shire Council

*Highlands RWMG

Philip Clingin

Ballarat City Council

Central Goldfields Shire Council

Golden Plains Shire Council

Hepburn Shire Council

Moorabool Shire Council

Pyrenees Shire Council

Hume *Goulburn Valley RWMG

(Resource GV)

Nick Nagle

Campaspe Shire Council

Greater Shepparton City Council

Mitchell Shire Council

Moira Shire Council

Murrindindi Shire Council

Strathbogie Shire Council

*North Eastern RWMG

(NevRwaste)

Brooke Hermans

Alpine Shire Council

Benalla Rural City Council

Indigo Shire Council

Mansfield Shire Council

Towong Shire Council

Wangaratta Rural City Council

Wodonga Rural City Council

(and three Alpine resorts)

Loddon Mallee *Calder RWMG

Peter Chudek

Greater Bendigo City Council

Macedon Ranges Shire Council

Mount Alexander Shire Council

*Central Murray RWMG

Karen Fazzani

Buloke Shire Council

Gannawarra Shire Council

Loddon Shire Council

Swan Hill Rural City Council

*Mildura RWMG

Amanda Blakney/Melanie Bell

Mildura Rural City Council

*NB. The ministerial Advisory Committee has recommended amalgamation of RWMG’s. As recommendations are enacted by government, revision to this document will be made.

SV contacts for regions (March 2014)

Division Barwon

South West

Gippsland Grampians Hume Loddon-

Mallee

Engagement

Statewide Engagement Team

Manager : Andrew Straker (03) 8626 8813

Strategic

Coordinators

Amy O’Brien

0418 149068

Luke Wilkinson

0427 850

478

Trish Kevin

0409 060109

Martina

Rienzner

0408 110

431

Kristy Roche

0419 311 765

Education Team

Manager : Jane Liefman (03) 8626 8861

Claire Ruedin

(03)

86268747

Simon Hum

(03) 8626

8793

Candyce

Presland

(03)

86268774

Simon Hum

(03)

86268793

Candyce

Presland

(03)

86268774

Integrated Waste Management

Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy

Manager : David Cocks (03) 86268765

Barwon

Andrew

Buzacott

(03)

86566701

South West

Marcus Fogarty

(03)

86268788

Gippsland

Val McGregor

(03)

86268742

Highlands

Nick Bailey

(03)

86268824

Grampians

Ben Stephenson

(03)

86268807

Desert Fringe

Ben Stephenson

(03)

86268807

Goulburn

Valley

Nicola Thom

(03)

86268726

North Eastern

David Cocks

(03)

86268765

Calder

David Cocks

(03)

86268765

Central Murray

Nick Bailey

(03)

86268824

Mildura

Kelly Wickham

(03)

86268820

Resource Efficiency

Business Productivity Team

Manager: Katrina Woolfe (03) 86268823

Yolanda Sztarr

(03)

86268843

Nick

Katsanevakis

(03)

86268755

Andrew Haus

(03)

86268874

Helen Scott

(03)

86268855

Kel Dummett

(03)

86268729

Acronyms

ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics

ALP Australian Labor Party

CBD Central Business District

CMA Catchment Management Authority

DSDBI Department of State Development, Business and Innovation

DEECD Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

DTPLI Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure

DEPI Department of Environment and Primary Industries

EEIG Energy Efficiency Information Grant

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

HACC Home and community care

IWM Integrated waste management

kV Kilovolts (equivalent to 1000 volts)

LGA Local government area

LP Liberal Party of Australia

LPO Litter Prevention Officer

MAC Ministerial Advisory Committee on Waste and Resource Recovery Governance

Reform, 2013

NP National Party of Australia

RDA Regional Development Australia

RDV Regional Development Victoria

ResourceSmart

AuSSI Vic

ResourceSmart Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative Victoria

RMF Regional Management Forum

RWMG Regional Waste Management Group

SME Small to medium sized enterprise

SV Sustainability Victoria

SV2015 SV’s Strategic Plan 2012–15

TAFE Technical and Further Education

VECCI Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilovolts

Regional Strategic Coordinators and Regional Waste Management Groups

Strategic Regional

Coordinators

Luke Wilkinson

DEPI office, Traralgon

T 1300 363 744

M 0427 850 478

Martina Reinzner

DEPI office, Seymour

T 5735 4330

M 0408 110 431

Kristy Roche

DEPI office,

Epsom

T 5430 4544

M 0419 311 765

Trish Kevin

DEPI office,

Ballarat

T 5336 6856

M 0409 060 109

Amy O’Brien

DEPI office,

Colac

T 5233 5549

M 0418 149 068

Kim Johnson

Ray Liversidge

SV office Melbourne

T 1300 363 744

Region Gippsland Hume Loddon Mallee Grampians Barwon South West Metropolitan

Population 260,766 309,986 278,395 224,636 373,191

1 1 | Regional Profiles – Barwon South West

Barwon South West

Regional Profiles – Barwon South West | 12

Regional features

Features Details

Subregions *Barwon RWMG

Colac Otway Shire Council

Greater Geelong City Council

Queenscliffe Borough Council

Surf Coast Shire Council

*South Western RWMG

(Waste Reduction Group)

Corangamite Shire Council

Glenelg Shire Council

Moyne Shire Council

Southern Grampians Shire Council


Two subregions: The Barwon Region (G21) and the Great South Coast.

Prominent towns: Geelong and Warrnambool

Geographical features

Great Ocean Road, Great Otway National Park, surf beaches, Barwon

River

Transport

Two bulk ports at Geelong and Portland (Corio Bay and Portland Ports)

Avalon Airport and rural airports in Hamilton, Portland and Warrnambool.

Established rail network.

Major roads and travel

times

From To Route Distance

(km)

Travel

(hours)

Geelong South Australia

border

Princes

Highway

368 4:23

Torquay Warrnambool Great

Ocean

Road

254 3:54

Geelong Hamilton Hamilton

Highway

233 2:50

Portland Hamilton Henty

Highway

85 1:02

Key infrastructure

Existing 550 kV electricity transmission line

Shell oil refinery

Aluminium smelters in Point Henry (to be closed 2014) and Portland

Coal mine and power station in Anglesea (future unknown)

Renewable energy – wind farms and geothermal

Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant, Barwon Water

Blue Circle Southern Cement kilns


Gas fields in the Otway basin

Ports- Corio and Portland

Mineral sand processing at Hamilton

Meat processing at Warrnambool, Geelong and Colac

Licensed landfills – Naroghid, Portland, Hamilton, Anglesea, Drysdale,

and inert landfills at Killarney, Alvie and Fyansford


Key facts

• Barwon South West has 800 km of coastline which is 40% of Victoria’s coast.

• The region has nine LGAs under two subregions.

• The regional centre, Geelong, is Victoria’s largest regional city.

• The Gunditjmara people have native title land in the far south west.

• The region enjoys booming health, social services and education sectors.

• Barwon South West is Australia’s largest milk production area and is home to 20% of the national

plantation timber industry.

• Other industries include aluminium production, food processing and automotive manufacturing.

Emerging industries include new energy, food security and biotechnology.

• The region has good transport links with two seaports with road and rail freight connections and

Avalon Airport.

Demography

Population: 350,000 (approx.)

G21 region Great South Coast region

Municipal centres Population Municipal centres Population

Geelong CBD,

City of Greater Geelong

223,047

Camperdown,

Corangamite Shire

17,469

Queenscliff,

Borough of Queenscliffe

3,306

Port Fairy,

Moyne Shire

16,906

Torquay,

Surf Coast Shire

26,873

Warrnambool CBD,


34,193

Colac,

Colac Otway Shire

22,108

Hamilton,

Southern Grampians Shire

17,411

Bannockburn,

Golden Plains Shire2

19,014

Portland,

Glenelg Shire

21,236

42 Golden Plains Shire is included as part of the G21 group for strategic planning purposes, but is part of the Highlands RWMG

for waste management purposes


Political context

Level Representative

Federal

Dan Tehan LP Member for Wannon

Sarah Henderson LP Member for Corangamite

Richard Marles ALP Member for Corio

State-Legislative Assembly

Lisa Neville ALP (Bellarine)

Hugh Delahunty NP (Lowan)

John Eren ALP (Lara)

Andrew Katos LP (South Barwon)

Denis Napthine LP (South West Coast)

Ian Trezise ALP (Geelong)

Terry Mulder LP (Polwarth)

State- Legislative Council

David Koch LP

David O’Brien NAT

Simon Ramsay LP

Jaala Pulford ALP

Gayle Tierney ALP

Regional context

• RDA in partnership with RDV and the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional

Development and Local Government completed the Barwon South West Strategic Plan in 2010.

• The City of Greater Geelong signed a sustainability covenant with EPA Victoria, the Committee

for Geelong, Barwon Water, the Geelong Chamber of Commerce, Deakin University and the

Geelong Manufacturing Council. The group developed the Future Proofing Geelong partnership

program, setting up a project delivery team in their economic development unit. In 2011, they

completed the Low Carbon Growth Plan for Greater Geelong with ClimateWorks Australia. As a

result, the council is targeting commercial buildings, SMEs and community capacity building.

• The Great South West Community Report Card was completed in 2011. The report card ranks 30

sustainability indicators across six LGAs to report on the condition of communities and

environment. It includes waste management and household energy as indicators.


Regional priorities

The Barwon South West Regional Strategic Plan identifies five key objectives for the region:

Objective Purpose Priority activities

1. A resilient and

diverse economy

To position Barwon South

West for economic growth

in a global market

• Industry transition

• New energy

• Food and water security

• Tourism

2. An exemplar of

environmental

sustainability

To protect and enhance

the natural assets of

Barwon South West

• Sustainable land use

• Climate change planning and risk

management

• Sustaining natural resources

3. Education and

opportunities

To develop a smarter,

more skilled, more resilient

community and workforce

• Higher education attainment rates

• Skills for growing and emerging industries

• Better access to education and training

4. A connected

Barwon South

West

To improve infrastructure

networks to build

economic competitiveness,

environmental sustainability

and social cohesion

• National Broadband Network opportunities

and challenges

• Transport infrastructure, including Geelong

Ring Road, Avalon

Airport, harbour improvements, Great Ocean

Road upgrades,

upgraded rail and road links, and upgrade to

Princes Highway

West (funding secured and under construction)

• Social networks and infrastructure

5. Empowered

communities

To develop healthy,

liveable, equitable

communities

• Address entrenched disadvantage through

regeneration activities in Corio, Norlane,

Whittington, Colac and Portland

• Improve health and wellbeing

• Increase the capacity of health and

community care

Other regional priorities include:

• implementing the Green Triangle Region Freight Action Plan

• investing in the Geelong Cultural Precinct

• setting up a regional research and information centre to meet rural and regional data

management needs

• developing network infrastructure for the Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct

• investing in town centre upgrades

• reconstructing Yarra St Pier

• developing existing and proposed trails in the G21 region as part of the G21 Regional Trails

project


• building National Defence Industrial Association headquarters in Geelong

• redeveloping Simonds Stadium (stage 2) – funding secured and under construction

• supporting regional growth, particularly in the Armstrong Creek and Warrnambool growth areas

• developing a purpose-built convention and exhibition centre

• establishing an Australian centre for emerging infectious diseases

• investing in structures and processes for the implementation of the Great South Coast Regional

Strategic Plan.

Economic profile

According to ABS data in 2010, around 199,000 people are employed in the region.

Most people work in healthcare and social assistance; around 15% of the labour force. The

manufacturing sector employs a further 13%, retail trade 12%, and agriculture, forestry and fishing

employs 6%.

Industry profile by subregion

Subregion Industry Profile

Great Surf Coast region • Agriculture generates around $2 billion gross revenue each year and

employs 20%

• of the workforce

• Manufacturing generates $4 billion a year, a quarter of which is derived

from dairy projects

• Forestry will harvest 180,000 hectares of blue gum plantation over the

next few years

• Retail and construction contribute more than $1 billion per year to the

economy

• Health, community services and education sectors are significant local

employers

• Growing renewable energy industry based on proven wind, oil and

natural gas resources

• Strong tourism sector with half of all regional international overnight

visits in the Great Ocean Road region

G21 Region • Manufacturing has been a major contributor to the local economy in

the past and continues to play an important role today

• Tourism, health, education and research, retailing and other tertiary

sector activities employ a large proportion of the workforce

• Leading centre in industrial research, health technology, biotechnology

and agricultural research

• Highly skilled labour force which has diversified its skill base in recent

years in response to local business needs

• Premier tourist destination and resort location

• Education and training is a key strength


Funded sustainability project examples

Recent SV projects

• Energy and Water Taskforce with Western District Employment

Access

• Landfill liners in Corangamite

• Kerbside green waste trial Southern Grampians.

Current SV projects

• Green Light Project (Geelong Manufacturing Council and Barwon

RWMG)

• Green Organics Soil Improvement Program, Barwon RWMG

• Roadside litter projects (Barwon RWMG and Waste Reduction Group)

• ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic schools (Barwon South West Consortia)

• RWMG support funding (Barwon RWMG and Waste Reduction

Group)

• SRSB Materials and Energy- 5 businesses

• SRSB- Energy Efficient Office Buildings- 1 building approved

Third party sustainability

projects

• Regional PPR program- Alcoa Foundation funded • Climate Resilient Communities of Barwon South West- VASP funded

(DEPI) • Geelong Cleantech Cluster- market research project- Manufacturing

productivity program (DSDPI) funded • Community Energy Efficiency Program- Department of Industry

funded • Renewable Energy Project, Geelong- RDV Funded • Barwon Sustainability Hub- BRWMG funded feasibility study


SWOT analysis

Strengths

• Geelong is Victoria’s largest provincial city

and is rapidly growing with a diverse and

vibrant economy

• Internationally recognised landscapes (the

Great Ocean Road) and other natural assets

• Manufacturing sector including aluminium and

food processing

• Diverse agriculture sector – Australia’s largest

milk production region (significant value-

adding occurs via milk and meat processing)

and 20% of the national plantation forestry

• Good sea and air transport links

• Natural gas reserves, existing 550kV

electricity transmission currently at 25%

capacity, and strong wind, wave and

geothermal resources

• Extensive networks, mature governance

structures and well developed regional

strategic planning processes

• Water resources an important natural asset

•

Opportunities

• New energy, particularly new wind and gas

fired facilities. Wave energy projects are

currently being considered off the far west

coast

• As an internationally significant tourism

destination, there is scope to improve yield

and encourage visitor dispersal

• Leveraging off higher education and research

institutions – the region has building

capabilities in biotechnology, information and

communication technology, carbon fibre

• and clean technology

• Timber harvest in the green triangle region

has growth potential

Weaknesses

• Regional socio-disadvantage with pockets of

entrenched disadvantage

• Lower rates than state average in some

significant health-related indicators

• Completion of Year 12 and participation in

further education lower than the state

average

• Road infrastructure is inadequate – in poor

repair and a serious barrier to regional growth

• Inadequate rail services – quality, reliability

and frequency

• Limited broadband capacity in some parts of

the Region

Threats

• Current workforce demands are not being

met. Regional growth and emerging

industries place further demands on labour

• Carbon intensive industries (e.g. oil refining,

cement production, aluminium) are likely to

be heavily affected by carbon trading

• Impact of climate change on agriculture and

risks of rising sea level on coastal

communities

• Catastrophic events – the region has many

high-risk bushfire areas

• Economy in transition – the rise of emerging

markets and reduced trade barriers affect the

region’s employment

Regional Profiles – Gippsland | 19

Gippsland


Regional features

Features Details

Subregion *Gippsland RWMG Bass Coast Shire Council

Baw Baw Shire Council

East Gippsland Shire Council

Latrobe City Council

South Gippsland Shire Council

Wellington Shire Council

Regional centres

Wonthaggi, Leongatha, Warragul, Morwell, Traralgon, Bairnsdale, Sale


Latrobe Valley, Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach, Wilsons

Promontory, Great Dividing Range

Transport

Princess Highway and rail corridor through the Latrobe Valley to the NSW

border. Bass and South Gippsland Highways.

These routes provide access to national and international freight hubs at

the Port of Melbourne and Melbourne Airport.


times


(km)

Travel

time

(hours)

Melbourne Traralgon Princess

Highway

163 1:50

Melbourne Mallacoota Princess

Highway

513 5:55

Melbourne Bairnsdale Princess

Highway

281 3:12

Wonthaggi Traralgon 111 1:24

Key infrastructure

• Latrobe Valley’s electricity generation and network

• Longford gas plant

• Federation University campus in central Gippsland

• Macalister Irrigation District

• Wonthaggi Desalination Plant



Key facts

Natural Assets

• The Latrobe Valley provides over 80% of Victoria’s electricity, with large reserves of brown coal

and over 90% of Victoria’s natural gas.

• Nearly half of Australia’s oil comes from the Bass Strait fields.

• The 4.6 million Ha of Gippsland’s land mass is made up of 73% forest and 27% other uses,

predominately rural and urban use.

• The region is home to one of Australia’s strongest dairy industries due to rich soil and dependable

rainfall.

• The region supplies 60% of Melbourne’s water. The Wonthaggi Desalination Plant was completed

in December 2012 and the region includes the Macalister Irrigation District, which provides water

security for farmers in irrigated diary and horticulture sectors.

• Public Native Forestry harvestable in the region occupies 9% of the region’s land mass, and

makes up to 45% of wood production. Plantation Forestry occupies 2% of the region and delivers

54%of regions wood production. Wellington LGA has 52% of the region’s plantations, Latrobe

LGA has 26% and Baw Baw South Gippsland and East Gippsland have fewer than 10% each.

Industry

• Associated dairy food processing has a significant presence with clusters associated with West

and South Gippsland.

• The Eastern half of the region is home to several Australian food brands (e.g. Patties Foods and

Vegco) and Victoria’s largest fishing port is at Lakes Entrance, where offshore and inshore fishing

vessels are protected by a safe harbour.

• There is extensive energy generation and distribution infrastructure in the region’s central

corridor, primarily supplying electricity and gas to Melbourne and beyond. There are gas and

electricity links from the region to Tasmania and NSW.

• A large proportion of Gippsland is not supplied with domestic reticulated natural gas, and the

electricity distribution network has minimal additional capacity available for both lower voltage and

high voltage industry.

• A new ExxonMobil Gas Conditioning Plan began construction in December 2013. The facility is

expected to be operational in 2016 at Longford which will be the biggest on the eastern sea

board.

Demography


• Gippsland has one of the highest dispersed populations with over 100,000 residents (40% of the

regional population) located in towns of less than 1000 people.

• Gippsland males have the lowest life expectancy when compared with any other region in

Victoria; 53% of the population are overweight or obese and 49% are smokers.

Population growth is projected to increase to 306,600 by 2026. Between 2010 and 2022, the

population of Bass Coast is expected to grow by 32.5% and the population of Baw Baw by 29.5%.

Plan Melbourne’s strategy to 2050 identified Wonthaggi and Drouin/Warragul as new population and

employment towns for growth as a strategy for managing growth in Melbourne’s peri-urban regions.


Political context

The previous federal and current state government had a cooperative arrangement in place to support

the transition of the Latrobe Valley economy to a low carbon future. The status of this is yet to be

determined.


Federal

Darren Chester NP Member for Gippsland

Russell Broadbent LP Member for McMillan

State-Victorian Legislative Assembly

Gary Blackwood LIB (Narracan)

Ken Smith LIB (Bass)

Peter Ryan NP (Gippsland South)

Russell Northe NP (Morwell)

Tim Bull NP (Gippsland East)

State-Victorian Legislative Council Eastern Victoria

Peter Hall NP

Phillip Davis LP

Edward O’Donohue LP

Johan Scheffer ALP

Matt Viney ALP

Regional context

• Gippsland was due to deliver its Regional Growth Plan in late 2013, incorporating the Integrated

Land Use Plan. This plan is underpinned by four guiding principles with key objectives as follows:

o Principle 1: Strengthen economic resilience by growing a more diverse economy which is

supported by new investment, innovation, and value-adding in traditional strengths.

o Principle 2: Promote a healthy environment by valuing Gippsland’s environmental and

heritage assets, and by minimising the region’s exposure to natural hazards and risks.

o Principle 3: Develop sustainable communities through a settlement framework comprising

major urban centres which ensure residents have convenient access to jobs, services,

infrastructure, and community facilities.

o Principle 4: Deliver timely and accessible infrastructure to meet regional needs for

transport, utilities and community facilities.

• The Latrobe Valley Industry and Employment Roadmap is an RDV plan due to be completed in

2014 supported by RDA to transition the three Latrobe Valley councils (Baw Baw, Latrobe City

and Wellington) to a low carbon economy. The Roadmap was supported by a $20 million Latrobe

Valley Infrastructure Fund to help grow jobs in other sectors and diversify the economy.

• The CarbonNet Project investigates the potential for carbon capture and storage in the Gippsland

region as part of several possible solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and address

climate change.


• The new Coastal Settlements of the Future program will focus initially on Lakes Entrance and Port

Welshpool; helping these communities mitigate risk, protect vital infrastructure, and adapt to

climate change.

• RDV funded ClimateWorks Australia to develop the Low Carbon Growth Plan for Gippsland in

2011. The plan identifies activities to save businesses and households $100 million per year

across the region through improved energy efficiency, increased land productivity and cleaner

distributed energy.

• Fuelled for Growth: Investing in Victoria’s biofuels and bioenergy industries (2012) stated that

Gippsland has potential biomass resources mostly related to forestry and livestock. This has

stimulated international interest in future investment and development.

Regional priorities

The Gippsland Regional Strategic Plan in 2010 identified ten key focus areas:

• Gippsland Low Carbon Economy Transition Plan:

• Post-secondary education

• Gippsland’s gateways: build the region’s exports

• Centre for Sustainable Industries: develop a local presence with Monash (now Federation)

University to carry out research and development on technology and practices that support

sustainable resource use of brown coal and water to strengthen the resilience of the regional

economy

• Gippsland Lakes Sustainable Development Framework

• Health and wellbeing outcomes

• Gippsland Integrated Land Use Plan: direction and priorities to address population growth across

the region including changes to land use and infrastructure development

• Gippsland’s water

• Broadband connectivity

• Tourism infrastructure.

Gippsland is now taking a new approach with four strategy groups established to support the 2010

Gippsland Regional Plan, with members from RMF, RDA, the Committee for Gippsland and the

Gippsland Local Government Network. The groups focus on the following themes that incorporate the

ten priorities:

• economic development

• health and wellbeing

• environment and natural resources management

• low carbon transition.

These strategic groups are collating priority projects and proposals to approach government and

industry for support, as multi-themed projects can attract greater regional support. It resulted in

Gippsland’s peak advocacy group, One Gippsland, identifying four priorities for the region in June

2013 that it took to Canberra for Federal support. This included;

• The full duplication of the Princes Highway between Traralgon and Sale;

• Funding to complete phase one of the Macalister Irrigation District (MID) modernisation program,

• The Latrobe Regional Hospital stage 2a redevelopment;

• East Sale as the preferred destination for Defence project 5428;

• Construction of the East West Link and North East Link road projects


Economic profile

Gippsland has a working population of close to 100,000 which is concentrated around the Latrobe

Valley and Southern Gippsland areas. The unemployment rate was 5% (Sept 2012), compared with

5.2% across Victoria. Gippsland’s regional economy generates an estimated $26.9 billion (gross

revenue generated by businesses/organisations). Total employment in the Gippsland region is 89,386

jobs.

Industry profile

LGA Characteristics Jobs

Gross revenue

(estimated)

Pop Municipal

centre

Industries Number % of

region

$

billion

% of

region

Bass

Coast

29,614 Wonthaggi

(Pop 6,528)

Tourism

Agriculture

11,303 12.65% $3,522 13.07%

Baw Baw 42,864 Warragul

(Pop 11,491)

Agriculture

Manufacturing

14,127 15.80% $3,546 13.16%

East

Gippsland

42,196 Bairnsdale

(Pop 11,271)

Tourism

Forestry

Agriculture

14,147 15.83% $3,389 12.58%

Latrobe 73,564 Morwell

(Pop 13,942)

Future energy

Sector

Service and

manufacturing

25,620 28.66% $8,670 32.18%

South

Gippsland

27,208 Leongatha

(Pop 4,505)

Tourism

Agriculture

9,997 11.18% $2,747 10.19%

Wellington 41,440 Sale

(Pop 13,337)

Oil and gas

extraction

Timber

Agriculture

Tourism

14,192 15.88% $5,051 18.74%

Total 256,886 89,386 100% $26,945 100%

The top five employment sectors

1. Health and community services (11,926)

2. Retail trade (10,902)

3. Construction (8,136)

4. Education (8,035)

5. Manufacturing (7,823)


The top five industry sectors

1. Manufacturing

2. Construction

3. Mining

4. Property services

5. Utility services

Key Points

• Food related activity in the Gippsland region generates more than $2 billion in exports, more than

14,000 jobs and is responsible for more than $1.3 billion in expenditure on goods and services

within the region. The Gippsland Food Plan was to be delivered in 2013 to direct the future

development/positioning of the Gippsland food system as a state and national food bowl.

• The 2013/14 State budget allocated $14million to the Macalister Irrigation Districts modernisation

project. This is home to significant diary and horticulture assets

• The 2013/14 state budget allocated $110million over 4 years to further investigate the

development and expansion of the Hastings Port as a major container port.

• The central western part of Gippsland is strongly linked to the mining and utilities industries.

• The largest proportion of land mass in Victoria granted to coal seam gas exploration is located in

Gippsland. The State Government currently has a moratorium on extraction.

• East Gippsland has attracted investment around agriculture, timber production, horticulture,

manufacturing, tourism, retail and service, commercial fishing and other marine industries. The

region is home to several Australian food brands and Victoria’s largest fishing port at Lakes

Entrance.

• Gippsland has a thriving dairy industry with more than 2,500 licensed dairy farms. The main

production areas are in the west and south of the region, including 11 processing plants and two

research institutes at Maffra and Ellinbank. Dairy dominates Gippsland exports with $762 million.

The Gippsland dairy industry is bigger than NSW, South Australia and Tasmania combined.

There is a number of dairy processing plants with in increasing focus on export markets, operate

in the Gippsland. These include Murray Goulburn Co-operative, Burra Foods, United Dairy Power,

Parmalat and National Foods. VIPLUS has recently invested in reopening diary processing at

Toora.



Recent SV projects

• Energy efficiency for schools- 18 schools successful in the Region

• SRSB Energy and Materials- 4 Capital Grant recipients in Round 1 and

2

• Landfill Liners – Latrobe, East Gippsland, South Gippsland, Bass

Coast, Wellington

• Roadside Litter Grants-South Gippsland and Bass Coast

• Regional organics (Mallacoota)

• Public Place Recycling (South Gippsland, Baw Baw, Bass Coast)

Current SV projects

• Gippsland RWMG projects including Organics Strategy, and Data

Collection

• ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic (Gippsland Consortia)


projects

• Energy efficiency assessments at 190 dairy farms in Gippsland (EEIG)

• Upgrading of street lighting for Bass Coast, South Gippsland, East

Gippsland, Wellington and Baw Baw Councils

• Pilot targeting HACC clients in retrofit, education and ongoing support

for energy efficiency (South East Councils Climate Change Alliance).

• Exploring sustainable agriculture approaches, including use of recycled

organics to improve productivity (West Gippsland CMA)

• Two LPOs funded across Bass Coast/South Gippsland and

Wellington/East Gippsland until

• 2012–13

• Delivering state-wide energy efficiency information to Victorian SMEs

(VECCI funded by EEIG)

• Developing a Renewable Energy Demonstration Trailer and providing

real life demonstration of energy efficiency and renewables at regional

events (GippsTAFE)


SWOT analysis

Strengths

• Proximity and access to Melbourne

• Established transport infrastructure (road

and rail, energy)

• Diverse economic drivers

• Number of regional networks and bodies

already exist (waste, economic, tourism,

agriculture, local government)

• Abundance of natural resource assets

• Employment and training opportunities

• Significant organic waste processing

infrastructure

• Energy generation and distribution

infrastructure

Opportunities

• Reducing costs and increasing inward

investment through the Low Carbon Growth

Plan for Gippsland

• Identifying additional regional projects and

starting discussions between stakeholders for

the Gippsland Regional Growth Plan (GRP)

• Looking for support and funding from other

levels of government for GRP projects, for

example, developing the Gippsland logistics

precinct and upgrading priority tourism roads

• Strong interest from government and industry

in using cost effective moisture removal

technologies from brown coal and exporting

this internationally

• Potentially large local markets for recovered

and processed organic waste in land use

• Significant external commercial interest in

food processing and biomass

• Improving the function, capacity and amenity

of the region’s commercial centres

Weaknesses

• Uncertainty as to what the focus of state and

federal governments relating to Latrobe

Valley transition to low carbon economy will

be.

• Significant areas socio-economic

disadvantage limits participation in the local

economy.

• Perception that the region only reliance is on

fossil fuel sector limits acknowledging the

diversity of the regional economy

Threats

• Ageing population and net migration of young

people

• Large geography and dispersed population

• Impacts of climate change and associated

policies on key industries (farming, forestry

and mining). Buildings and infrastructure may

be at risk from flooding and storm surges

along the coast and from bushfires inland

• Energy sector facing significant challenges

due to global shift to a low carbon economy

• Transition to low carbon economy stagnates

due to policy uncertainty

Regional Profiles – Grampians | 28

Grampians

Regional Profiles – Grampians |29

Regional features

Features Details

Subregion *Highlands RWMG

City of Ballarat Council

Central Goldfields Shire Council

Golden Plains Shire Council

Hepburn Shire Council

Moorabool Shire Council

Pyrenees Shire Council

*Grampians RWMG Ararat Rural City Council

Horsham Rural City Council

Northern Grampians Shire Council

Yarriambiack Shire Council

*Desert Fringe RWMG Hindmarsh Shire Council

West Wimmera Shire Council

Regional centres

Provincial city of Ballarat and major regional towns of Ararat and

Horsham


Grampians National Park, Little Desert National Park, northern edge of

the western volcanic plains (mostly grazing), flat to gently undulating

Wimmera plains (mostly cropping)

Transport

• Rail network between Melbourne and Adelaide runs through the

middle of the region

• Rail network from Melbourne to Mildura runs through the east of the

region

• Ballarat airport

• Dooen Intermodal Freight Terminal, north of Horsham connects road

to rail

• Well serviced by road networks.

• The Western Highway connecting Melbourne to Adelaide runs

through the centre of the region.



times


(km)

Travel

time

(hours)

Melbourne Ballarat Western

Highway

115 1:21

Melbourne Horsham Western

Highway

300 3:22

Ballarat Geelong Midland

Highway

89 1:12

Horsham Portland Henty

Highway

224 2:47

Horsham Bendigo Wimmera

Highway

215 2:49

Key infrastructure

• Wimmera Mallee Pipeline (continuous water supply to townships,

farms and potential new industry development)

• Natural gas distribution to Ballarat and surrounding towns as well as

Horsham, Ararat and Stawell

• Tertiary education facilities including Federation University in Ballarat

and Horsham, Australian Catholic University Ballarat Campus,

Melbourne University Creswick Campus, Longerenong College

(south of Horsham)

• Bayer CropScience wheat and oilseeds breeding centre located at

Longerenong College

• Ballarat airport ($5.57M funding secured for upgrade)

• Stawell airport recently upgraded

• Doen Intermodal Freight Terminal – road/rail terminal with bulk

container and grain handling facilities

• Ballarat West Employment Zone – industry and employment growth

area with access to road, rail and airport

• Ballarat West Growth Area planning for 18,000 new houses

• Large hospitals including Ballarat Base Hospital, St John of God

Health Care in Ballarat and Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham and

Stawell Regional Health

• Hopkins Correctional Centre (known as Ararat prison) and Langi Kal

Kal low security prison

• Large abattoirs in Ararat and Stawell with possible expansion plans

• Grain Innovation Centre, DEPI Horsham

• Wind farms – Waubra, Challicum Hills and Daylesford community-

owned wind farm

• Upgrades to Ballarat and Stawell airports


Key facts

The Grampians region for planning purposes is divided into two sub regions – Central Highlands

Region in the south east and Wimmera Southern Mallee Region in the north west.

• Ballarat is the fastest growing regional centre and third largest urban area in the state.

• Horsham is twice the size of any other centre in the north west of the region and has grown at the

expense of smaller towns.

• The Grampians region has a recognised higher education and training system network.

• It has the strongest concentration of IT and computing services and capacity in regional Victoria.

• The region has the major concentration of Australia’s gold mining heritage.

• Registered Aboriginal parties in the region include Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal

Corporation, Dja Dja Wurung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Matang Pty Ltd and Wathaurung

Aboriginal Cooperative.

Demography

Population growth will be concentrated in Melbourne’s peri-urban fringe, principally the shires of

Moorabool, Golden Plains and Hepburn as well as in Ballarat West Growth Area of Ballarat City

Council.

The median weekly income and the number of people participating in higher education is lower than

the state average.

Relatively high levels of disadvantage, particularly in towns in Ballarat, Pyrenees, Hindmarsh and

Yarriambiack shires.

Low rents in smaller towns can create pockets of disadvantage.

Wimmera Southern Mallee has the oldest population in Victoria. Projected population growth is low

due to young people leaving for education and employment, leaving a large proportion of retirees (and

school aged children).

Includes very small pockets of new arrivals to Australia e.g. the Karen people in Nhill, many of whom

work at Luvaduck - duck producer and manufacturer.

Projected change in total population for municipalities in Central Highlands region

Source: Victoria in Future 2012

Central Highlands sub region 2011 2021 2031

Ararat (RD) 12,000 13,000 14,000

Ballarat (C) 97,800 113,500 130,000

Golden Plains (north-west section) (S) 8200 9000 10,000

Hepburn (S) 15,000 17,000 18,500

Moorabool (S) 29,400 36,000 43,000

Pyrenees (S) 6900 7500 8000

Total Central Highlands 169,300 196,000 223,500


Wimmera Southern Mallee sub

region

2011 2021 2031

Hindmarsh (S) 6,100 5,800 5,500

Horsham (RC) 20,400 21,600 22,600

Northern Grampians (S) 12,200 12,300 12,100

West Wimmera (S) 4,500 4,400 4,200

Yarriambiack (S) 7,500 7,300 6,900

Total Wimmera Southern Mallee 50,700 51,400 51,300

Political context


Federal

Catherine King ALP Member for Ballarat (includes Ballarat, Hepburn, Golden

Plains, Moorabool councils)

John Forrest NP Member for Mallee (includes Horsham Rural City Council,

West Wimmera, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, Northern

Grampians councils)

Dan Tehan LP Member for Wannon (includes Ararat Rural City, Pyrenees,

and Central Goldfields councils)

State - Victorian Legislative Assembly

Geoff Howard ALP Ballarat East - (Ballarat City, Hepburn, Moorabool councils)

Sharon Knight ALP Ballarat West – (includes Ballarat City Council)

Joe Helper ALP Rippon - (Includes Ararat Rural City, Northern Grampians

(southern part), Golden Plains, Pyrenees, Central Goldfields

councils)

Hugh Delahunty NP Lowan - (includes Horsham, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh

councils)

Peter Crisp NP Mildura – (includes Yarriambiack (northern part e.g.

Hopetoun)

Peter Walsh NP Swan Hill – (includes Yarriambiack (southern part e.g.

Warracknabeal), Northern Grampians (northern part e.g. St

Arnaud)

State - Victorian Legislative Council

David Koch LP National Western Victoria

Wendy Lovell LP Northern Victoria region


Regional context

• DTPLI has completed regional strategic plans and draft regional growth plans for both subregions.

• The City of Ballarat has recently released the Ballarat Regional Capital Plan which outlines key

challenges and opportunities for Ballarat and identifies specific projects for public and private

investment.

• $28.5M has been identified for the first stage of the development of the Ballarat West

Employment Zone (BWEZ). BWEZ is a 632-hectare site on council owned and adjacent public

land. It could create as much as 9000 jobs and $5 billion in economic output per year.

• The site includes general industry, freight industry, transport and logistics precinct, food

processing precinct, research and development, convenience retail and business support

services. $21.7M has been identified to build a new waste to energy plan at the site.

Regional priorities

Subregions Priorities

Central Highlands

• Population growth should be planned in sustainable locations throughout the

region.

• The region’s economy should be strengthened so that it is more diversified

and resilient.

• The region should capitalise on its close links with other regions and cities.

• The development of sustainable and vibrant communities should be

supported by enhancing the level of access to key services.

• Land use patterns, developments and infrastructure should make the region

more self-reliant and sustainable.

• Planning for growth should be integrated with the provision of infrastructure.

• The region’s land, soil, water and biodiversity should be managed, protected

and enhanced.

• Long-term agricultural productivity should be supported.

• The importance of cultural heritage and landscapes as economic and

community assets should be recognised

Wimmera

Southern Mallee

• Growth should be encouraged throughout the region to create a network of

integrated and prosperous settlements.

• Key centres should be a focus to manage population change and access to

services.

• Ecological health and rural landscapes should be enhanced.

• Key agricultural resources should be protected, productivity maintained, and

the development of industry supported.

• The region’s assets should be used to facilitate the diversification of the

economy and ensure a resilient community.

• Planning should support adaptation to changes in climate

• The development of distinct settlements should be supported to create

healthy, attractive and liveable communities.

• Opportunities for growth should be identified to facilitate appropriate local

development.

• Infrastructure required to support growth should be identified.

Central High


Economic profile

Central Highlands

Economic activities include agriculture, manufacturing, government administration, education and

health services, tourism, gold mining, viticulture and forestry. Ballarat City also has strong retail trade,

construction, property and business services. Government services are the major employer in major

regional centres.

Traditional economic strengths such as agriculture/agribusiness, mining and manufacturing will

remain important. However high growth sectors in the future include healthcare and social assistance,

professional, scientific and technical services, accommodation, food services and tourism. Potential

future growth industries include ICT and business process services and research and development,

high value added food processing and gold, copper and mineral sands mining.

Wimmera Southern Mallee

Agriculture is the dominant economic driver and employer in the region. This is predominantly broad

acre cropping of cereals (produces 70% of Victoria’s grain), pulses and oil seeds, with livestock

grazing towards the south of the sub region.

Other key economic activities include healthcare, manufacturing (dominated by food processing,

including meat), retail and construction. Nature based tourism, freight transport and mineral sands

mining are also important.



Recent SV projects

• Smart Living Centre, Ballarat

• Upgrading waste sorting facilities at KKC Property Pty Ltd,

Ballarat

Current SV projects

• In vessel composting trial FABCOM at Maryborough - Highlands

RWMG

• Upgrade of transfer stations and education resources - Desert

Fringe RWMG area

• Infrastructure upgrade at transfer stations, trial of small in vessel

composting units, trial of food scraps collection and educational

resources – Grampians RWMG

• ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic schools – Grampians regional

implementation.

• Detox your Home – existing site in Ballarat and new sites at

Ararat and Horsham

• Smarter Resources, Smarter Businesses program – In 2013,

capital funding to Haymes Paint and Blue Pyrenees Winery,

resource assessment to Creswick Supermarket and Taltarni

Winery. A further 5 businesses are recommended for capital

funding in 2014


projects

• Building resilience in farming communities and agribusiness –

West Wimmera, Yariambiack and Horsham Rural City Council

• Resilient community assets – Central Goldfields shire, partnering

with 5 neighbouring shires in the Loddon Mallee region

• Supporting change and adaptation in the Northern Grampians

Shire

• Adapting to climate change – Hepburn, Golden Plains,

Moorabool and Pyrenees Shires

• Bioenergy pilot project at Beaufort Hospital

AusIndustry grants

• Ballarat Concrete Products replacing their boiler with generators

• McCain Foods, Ballarat boiler upgrades

• Mars Australia, Ballarat equipment upgrade and insulation

• Sonac Australia Maryborough plant capital upgrades

Other

• Lighting the Region – replacement of street lights in Hindmarsh,

West Wimmera, Ararat and Horsham councils (along with 12

other councils across Victoria)

• Solar cooling demonstration at Stockland Wendouree Shopping

Centre (funded by Australian renewable Energy Agency)

• Northern Grampians Shire beverage recycling (Coca cola and

KABV grant)


SWOT analysis

Strengths

• City of Ballarat Council provides leadership in

strategic planning and actively encourages

innovation in future economic development in

the city, which benefits the surrounding

region

• Well-developed agriculture and

manufacturing industries and growing new

industries of viticulture and tourism

• Straddles major road and rail networks.

Opportunities

• Wimmera Mallee pipeline provides

opportunity for new intensive agricultural

activities

• Generating energy locally from renewable

sources, including bioenergy

• Low population densities in the north west

provide opportunity for industries with offsite

impacts

• Some parts of the region have reputation and

commitment to sustainability e.g. Hepburn

Shire

Weaknesses

• Two-speed economy with growth in the

Central Highlands sub region and potential

decline in the Wimmera Southern Mallee

• Wimmera Southern Mallee sub region has an

ageing population, low population densities

and large travel distances between

settlements.

• Varied access to broadband and internet

services

• Agriculture e.g. cropping and grazing reliant

on fuel transport to southern port

• Not enough people willing to work in the jobs

available in the more remoter parts of the

region

• Reliant on road transport for moving high

value products from north to port in the south

• Pockets of disadvantage throughout the

region

• Pressures include adapting to predicted

climate change which is likely to include

rising temperatures, declining rainfall and the

potential for greater incidents of drought,

flood and fire

Threats

• Dispersed settlements and poor public

transport in north west means populations

are vulnerable to rising fuel prices

• Climate change is predicted to adversely

impact the region, particularly in the north

west where economy relies on agriculture

• Ageing infrastructure

• Lack of cooperation across industry sectors

37 | Regional Profiles – Hume

Hume

Regional Profiles – Hume | 38

Regional features

Features Details

Subregion * Goulburn Valley RWMG -

ResourceGV

Campaspe Shire Council

Greater Shepparton City Council

Mitchell Shire Council

Moira Shire Council

Murrindindi Shire Council

Strathbogie Shire Council

*+ North Eastern RWMG -

NevRwaste

Alpine Shire Council

Benalla Rural City Council

Indigo Shire Council

Mansfield Shire Council

Towong Shire Council

Wangaratta Rural City Council

Wodonga City Council

Alpine Resorts (Falls Creek, Mt Hotham

and Mt Buller Mt Sterling)*

+Resorts are included as they have

waste management responsibilities and

are members of NevRwaste)

These can be further subdivided to create the following four regions:

• Central Hume: Wangaratta, Benalla, Alpine, Mansfield

• Goulburn Valley: Greater Shepparton, Moira, Strathbogie and

Campaspe**

• Upper Hume: Wodonga, Indigo and Towong

• Lower Hume: Mitchell (including Seymour) and Murrindindi (including

Beveridge and Wallan)

** Under some planning frameworks Campaspe is part of the Loddon

Mallee rather than the Hume region


• Goulburn, Broken, Murray, Ovens, King and Kiewa river systems

• Large areas of environmental value including National Parks

• Alpine National Park and resorts including Falls Creek, Mt Hotham,

Mt Buller Mt Sterling and Lake Mountain

Transport

The region is linked to the rest of Victoria, and Australia, through the

Hume and Goulburn Valley transport corridors (rail and road). Most

prominent example is the road to/from Sydney across the NSW border.

Significant freight and logistics hubs in Barnawartha (Upper Hume) and

Mooroopna (Goulburn Valley)

Rail service and infrastructure requires investment.



times

From To Distance (km) Travel time

(hours)

Melbourne Seymour 110 1:18

Melbourne Shepparton 189 2:07

Melbourne Benalla 211 2:14

Melbourne Echuca 225 2:34

Melbourne Wangaratta 251 2.38

Melbourne Wodonga 323 3:11

Key infrastructure

• Puckapunyal (near Seymour) and Bandiana (near Wodonga) Military

Areas

• Mangalore Airport (near Seymour)

• Western Composting Technology regional facility, Shepparton

• Wallan and Wodonga best practice Resource Recovery Centres

• Food and fruit processing facilities in Goulburn Valley

• Biodiesel Producers biofuels plant, Barnawartha

• Goulburn Valley Water + Diamond Energy biogas plants (Tatura and

Shepparton)

• Albury Waste Management Centre (in NSW)

• Freight and logistics precincts, existing and emerging, at Beveridge,

Seymour/Mangalore, Mooroopna, Barnawartha, Wodonga,

Ettamogah (NSW) and Tocumwal (NSW)

Key facts

Structure

• Hume has no single dominant regional city.

• The region has four distinct subregions, each of which has access to a city and/or as per details in

table

• Councils/shires range from well-resourced and quickly expanding (e.g. Mitchell) to severely under

resourced (e.g. Murrindindi). This is directly reflected in local waste infrastructure and services

which range from best practice (Wallan and Wodonga) to requiring investment (Kinglake).

Land

• Goulburn Valley is the food bowl of the Murray-Darling Basin, producing about 25% of the value

of Victoria’s agricultural production.

• More than a quarter (28%) of Goulburn Valley and over half (54%) of the North East is public

land.

• Hume was severely affected by the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, particularly throughout

Murrindindi Shire.

• Many of the region’s urban centres are located within the floodplains of major rivers including

Benalla on the Broken river, Shepparton on the Broken and Goulburn rivers, Seymour on the

Goulburn river, Wangaratta on the Ovens and King rivers and Echuca and Wodonga on the

Murray river.


Demography

Population: 310,000 (two-thirds in Goulburn Valley).

• Population growth is a slightly lower than the Victorian average.

• High amenity areas experience a significant influx of Melburnians seeking a rural lifestyle

(weekenders and commuters).

• High proportion of part time residents in areas of natural beauty (e.g. 50% of rate payers in

Mansfield Shire are part time residents, similar in Alpine Shire)

• Structural ageing as farmers get older, young people migrate to cities and retirees migrate to the

region. Most significant in Strathbogie followed by Towong, Alpine and Benalla shires.

• Shepparton-Mooroopna has the largest Indigenous population in provincial Victoria

• Further cultural diversity resulting from past and recent settlement of migrants, including large

Arabic speaking communities in Shepparton and Moira

• Relatively low levels of social disadvantage. Of 270 relatively disadvantaged towns in regional

Victoria only 40 are in the Hume region (and none in the top 24). However, disadvantaged towns

include al l of the region’s centres – Shepparton and nearby Mooroopna, Wodonga, Wangaratta,

Benalla and Seymour.

Political context


Federal

Cathy McGowan Ind Member for Indi

Rob Mitchell ALP Member for McEwen

Sharman Stone LP Member for Murray


Tim McCurdy NP (Murray Valley)

Cindy McLeish LP (Seymour)

Jeanette Powell NP (Shepparton) Minister for Local Government,

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs

Dr Bill Sykes NP (Benalla) Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Industries

Bill Tilley LP (Benambra)

Paul Weller NP (Rodney)

State - Victorian Legislative Council for Northern Victoria

Candy Broad ALP

Kaye Darveniza ALP

Damian Drum ALP

Kaye Darveniza LP

Wendy Lovell LP

Amanda Millar LP


Regional priorities

The June 2013 Draft Hume Regional Growth Plan provides a regional approach to land use planning

and identifies opportunities for growth and change over the next 30 years.

Principles under the plan include:

• Ensure land use planning decisions adopt a triple bottom line approach and are based on the best

available land capability data

• Support rural towns by providing access to key community infrastructure that can respond to

changing needs over time

• Ensure future development makes a positive contribution to sustainability and embraces good

urban design

• Support innovative and flexible service delivery models and improve access to facilities and

services

• Support the expansion and diversification of the region’s economy

• Capitalise on national transport links and tourist routes

• Support industrial growth through value adding

• Provide for efficient and effective transport movements within the region and to Melbourne and

other key urban centres outside of the region.

The growth plan is guided by The Hume Strategy for Sustainable Communities 2010-2020. Directions

under the strategy include

• harnessing renewable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pursuing

innovative waste management approaches

• adapting and diversifying agriculture in an environment of change

• facilitating research and innovation in tourism, manufacturing and industry to encourage new and

evolving business

• developing energy infrastructure that builds on existing competitive advantages

• developing a proficient land transportation system

• maximising use of existing infrastructure and services and facilitating strategic investment in

future infrastructure and services

• ensuring efficient use of land use planning resources in the region.

NB: These documents have been guided by 12 local councils excluding Shire of Campaspe which is reflected in the Loddon Mallee Regional Growth Plan.

High


Economic profile

The economy is based on access to water and productive land, the national freight corridor and

significant areas of natural beauty. Related key industries are agriculture/primary production,

manufacturing (primarily food and beverage) and tourism (including ski resorts).

Manufacturing and agriculture are the most significant economic sectors, contributing over 30%

($3.1b) to the region’s gross value added and providing 75% of the region’s exports.

Significant and growing employment sectors include retail, construction, health care, education and

accommodation/food services.

Significant and declining employment sectors include manufacturing and agriculture.

Transition/emerging opportunities include intensive agriculture (broiler farms, piggeries, feedlots,

horticulture) and agricultural clusters, greenhouses, forestry, renewable energy generation including

bioenergy and conservation activities.

Opportunities also exist in the waste sector for localised waste management solutions (including

composting, recycling and reuse), specifically around towns with industries processing food and fibre

and near clusters of intensive animal raising industries.

Sub region Industry and service base Local industries

Central Hume Wangaratta, supported by Benalla. Softwood plantation

High-value agriculture

Viticulture

Goulburn Valley Shepparton. Food and vegetable processing

Agriculture

Grazing

Viticulture

Forestry

Upper Hume Wodonga.

Albury-Wodonga is one of Australia’s 18

major cities.

Freight transport and logistics

Passenger transport

Manufacturing

Agriculture (mostly grazing)

Viticulture

Defence force

Lower Hume Seymour (nominally).

Melbourne based manufacturing is a key

employer for commuters living along

Hume Freeway.

Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary now

encompasses Beveridge and Wallan in

the Lower Hume.

Viticulture

Aquaculture

Agriculture

Timber

Defence force



Recent SV projects

• Alpine Living Bin project

• Fluoro Collect – Driving Investment for New Recycling fund

• Sustainable organics management in Goulburn Valley

• Inaugural SV@ your doorstep (Alpine Shire)

Current SV projects

25 projects at a total contract value of $2.7m funded by SV since July

2012, including:

• Green and food waste collection in the Goulburn Valley

• Tallangatta Eco Education and Integrated Services Hub (co-

funded by DEECD and Living Libraries)

• Education and engagement campaign for Wodonga and Indigo

• Away from Home behaviour study, North East.


projects

Seven Hume projects under Victorian Adaption and Sustainability

Partnership Program, including:

• Virtual Renewable Power Stations, feasibility study into

decentralised electricity generation and distribution infrastructure

(Moira Shire partnering with Swan Hill Rural City)

• Climate smart agricultural development, long term data to inform

agricultural industry transformation (partnership of six Goulburn

Broken councils)

• Climate change resilience and adaptation.

Over 15 Hume projects under Australian Government’s Clean

Technology Fund, including:

• Energy efficient evaporator technology for Kagome Foods,

Australia’s largest tomato processor, based in Echuca

• Tri-gen plant for Wodonga Rendering (abattoir)

• Consolidation from Port Melbourne to Shepparton for chemical

manufacturer Pental Ltd

• Energy efficient cooling technology for Victorian Alps Wine

Company, based in Myrtleford.

Four Hume projects under Australian Government’s Local

Government Energy Efficiency Program, for solar and/or heat pump

hot water systems at Alpine, Indigo, Mitchell and Strathbogie Shires.

$2.9m from Australian Government for ‘Watts Working Better’ street

lighting project (total value $4.6m). Lead by Shepparton Council with

Campaspe, Benalla, Moira, Strathbogie, Mansfield, Mitchell,

Murrindindi and Wangaratta as partners. Managed by Goulburn

Broken Greenhouse Alliance.


SWOT analysis

Strengths

• Multi-centred and somewhat diversified

economy with strong interregional linkages

• Opportunities for business development due

to geographical location of Hume between

Melbourne and Sydney

• Strong agricultural base and established role

in food production

• Good collaboration between most

councils/shires

• History of shared resource use and

collaborative procurement for waste services

• Towns/regions with good transport links and

existing infrastructure can accommodate

growth e.g. Seymour

• Consortium approach to ResourceSmart

AuSSI Vic taps into a strong local network in

the Hume region.

Opportunities

• Multi-centred structure and strong transport

links are a good fit for a ‘hub and spokes’

waste management model

• Hume can be an early adopter of Getting Full

Value, based on functional regional waste

groups and active local support for MAC

recommendations

• Significant changes earmarked to transport

networks (e.g. the GV Link project)

• Towns/regions with slowing economies can

provide infrastructure and population for

emerging industries

• Waste industry can provide training and

employment opportunities for displaced,

semi-skilled or unskilled workers

• Integrating resource awareness into planning

and new infrastructure where councils are

actively reinventing and restructuring the

local economic mix

• Albury/Wodonga and other border towns

provide opportunities for interstate knowledge

and resource share as well as joint

infrastructure projects

• Some areas are willing to invest in emerging

waste management technologies and may

find it easier to maintain buffer distances.

Weaknesses

• No sizable regional city and no ‘natural

centre’ for the region. This affects funding

support which is often based on population

size and city-based models and makes it

difficult to invest in centralised infrastructure

• Distorted ‘waste market’ from lower landfill

fees in NSW-Albury and two councils

(Wodonga and Indigo) that do not pay landfill

levy

• Community education difficult in high tourism

areas with transient populations and areas

with part-time populations

• Slowing economies and employment

opportunities in previous ‘agricultural centre’

towns

• Limited access to technologies that city-

based agencies may take for granted e.g.

internet access

• Limited access to commuter rail services

restricts population growth and has caused

Threats

• Changing weather patterns and increases in

droughts, floods, bushfires and other extreme

weather events can be a higher priority than

resource efficiency for local organisations,

businesses and householders

• Income from agriculture is volatile, subject to

climate change impacts (see above, plus

reduction in water, seasonal changes, and

increase in frost), direction of the Murray-

Darling Basin plan and global and local

economic conditions.

• Downturn in manufacturing has lead and will

lead to successive rationalisation

• Ongoing and significant regional issues

include water security, ageing infrastructure,

information and communication technology

demand and supply, and barriers to

establishing renewable energy supplies

• Pressure for urban and rural residential

development can present a threat to


high dependence on private cars

• Small councils with relatively limited

resources, e.g. they don’t employ waste

education officers.

environmental assets but also provides

opportunities for tourism and other economic

diversification. Balancing these pressures,

along with natural hazards and potentially

prohibitive infrastructure cost, is a key

challenge for regional and local planning.

Regional Profiles – Loddon Mallee | 46

Loddon Mallee

Regional Profiles – Loddon Mallee | 4 7

Regional features

Features Details

Subregion * Calder RWMG

City of Greater Bendigo Council

Macedon Ranges Shire Council

Mount Alexander Shire Council

*Central Murray RWMG

Buloke Shire Council

Gannawarra Shire Council

Loddon Shire Council

Swan Hill Rural City Council

*Mildura RWMG

Mildura Shire Council

Two sub regions listed by RDV:

• Loddon Mallee North:

Mildura Rural City Council, Swan Hill Rural City Council, Buloke Shire

Council’ Gannawarra Shire Council, Shire of Campaspe (SV’s North

East Region)

• Loddon Mallee South:

Loddon Shire Council, City of Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander

Shire Council, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Central Goldfields

Shire Council (SV’s Grampians region)


• The Murray River – spanning a total length of 2520 kilometres and

with its tributaries is the third largest water catchment on earth.

• Key town centres include Gisborne, Woodend, Kyneton,

Castlemaine, Bendigo, Wedderburn, Wycheproof, Charlton, Ouyen,

Kerang, Swan Hill, Red Cliffs and Mildura.

• National Parks situated within the Loddon Mallee region include

Murray Sunset national Park, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, and

Greater Bendigo National Park. Other Loddon Mallee parks include

the Kooyora State Park, Mount Alexander Regional Park, Macedon

Regional Park, Maldon Historical Reserve, and Hanging Rock

Recreation Reserve.

Transport

• Major train routes include passenger services from Melbourne to

Bendigo to Swan Hill/Echuca. A commercial freight train operates

between Mildura and Bendigo.

• Mildura has the largest rural airport in Victoria, with regular passenger

services. Bendigo also provides commercial and selected passenger

services.

• Due to its central location, the Loddon Mallee links into the Adelaide

to Sydney Road corridor, the South Australian Riverland, the western

and southern Riverina in NSW and Broken Hill.



times

From To Distance (km) Travel time

(hours)

Melbourne Bendigo 152 1:43

Bendigo Mildura 401 4.45

Bendigo Swan Hill 187 2:30

Key infrastructure

• Reticulated gas networks in Mildura (SA Power Networks) and

Bendigo (SP AusNet). Share in a $100 million gas redevelopment

project will include Loddon Mallee infrastructure.

• Bendigo, Kerang and Mildura are connected to 220 kV transmission

lines.

• Powercor provides the electricity network across Western Victoria,

incorporating Loddon Mallee.

• Expansion of the Bendigo airport to support emergency services

within the region.

• Development of the Bendigo rail network to include Eaglehawk and

Epsom station expansion.

• New Bendigo Hospital: the largest regional hospital development in

Victoria’s history and one of the largest hospital projects across

Australia. Redevelopment works are valued at $630 million dollars.

• Mildura Hospital upgrade of $5 million to expand health services in

the region.

• Mildura Riverfront Master plan project to develop an $11 million

marina and conference centre.

• La Trobe University (Bendigo and Mildura)

• Monash University – School of Rural Health (Bendigo)

• Bendigo TAFE (Bendigo)

• SuniTAFE - Sunraysia Institute of TAFE (Mildura)

Key facts

• The Loddon Mallee region encompasses a quarter of Victoria’s land mass.

• The region is famous for the waterways of the Murray River, which is a major producer of fruit,

wine, nuts, and vegetables, dairy products, cereals, meat and wool. The region produces over

30% of Victoria’s grains, over 40% of its fruit, and more than 80% of its wine grapes.

• The region is also acclaimed for its restaurants and wineries, heritage towns and National Parks

and forests.

• The Mildura region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and mild winters, and is

part of the warmest regions of Victoria.

• Mildura Rural City Council is geographically the largest council in Victoria.

• The City of Greater Bendigo is the third largest regional centre in Victoria.

• The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is the only Australian bank to be headquartered in a regional

area.

• Many of the large towns were built on gold mining but are now reliant on manufacturing, tourism

and service provision.


Demography


• Mildura Rural City Council has a population of approximately 53,122, with the cross-border

community of Wentworth (NSW) consisting of 8,000 people. The township of Mildura itself has

approximately 30,000 residents. The City of Greater Bendigo has a population of approximately

103,722 and is growing by 2% annually.

• Swan Hill Rural City Council region has a population of approximately 20 972, and approximately

10,394 people in neighbouring Gannawarra Shire.

• Buloke Shire Council has a population of 6,364, and 8,600 within Loddon Shire Council.

• Mount Alexander Shire consists of approximately 17,803 people, with neighbouring Macedon

ranges Shire consisting of 41,860 people.

• The population of Macedon Ranges Shire is projected to increase by 2% between 2010 and

2022, while Buloke Shire is projected to decline by 4%.

• The southern region of Loddon Mallee (Bendigo, Mt Alexander and Macedon Ranges) is

expected to continue at a growth rate 50% above other regional areas (centres of Bendigo,

Castlemaine, Kyneton and Maryborough). The sustained growth rate is contributed to geographic

proximity to Melbourne.

Political context


Federal (Note: Bendigo borders Ballarat and McEwan federal regions).

Andrew Broad NP Member for Mallee

Lisa Chesters ALP Member for Bendigo


Jacinta Allan ALP (Bendigo East)

Joanne Duncan ALP (Macedon)

Maree Edwards ALP (Bendigo West)

Peter Crisp NP (Mildura)

Peter Walsh NP (Swan Hill)

State- Victorian Legislative Council

Damian Drum NP Bendigo

Amanda Miller LP Woodend


Regional context

• Mildura Rural City Council achieved their greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of a minimum

of 20% below 2005–06 levels by 2011–12 as outlined in the Final Greenhouse Action Plan 2007 -

2012. This plan was replaced by the Energy Management Plan in 2012 which sets a 10%

reduction in energy consumption over the next five years.

• Mildura Rural City Council achieved a successful tender for kerbside recycling, and completed a

successful trial for kerbside organics, which has resulted in a formal tender application for 2014.

• Ongoing support for commercial and industrial energy efficiency projects within the Mildura

region, being led by Mildura Development Corporation.

• The City of Greater Bendigo is committed to reducing their carbon emissions by 50% by 2020.

The council is currently reviewing their Carbon Management Plan 2009 – 2012 and completing

their Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan including a system to monitor and report on the

council’s greenhouse gas emissions.

• The Greater City of Bendigo Waste Management Strategy community consultation period closed

early December 2013 for the regions revised strategy.

• Mount Alexander Shire Council is continuing to track emissions as part of Council Climate

Change Action plan 2011-2014, and deliver on council’s 2011-14 Greenhouse Action Plan.

• A review of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council Waste Management Strategy is expected by June

2014, in conjunction with the shires Macedon Ranges Climate Change Action Plan.

• The Loddon Mallee area is actively facilitating the development of large-scale solar energy

generation facilities within the region, while removing structural barriers to the development of

cost effective renewable energy.

Regional priorities

Region Focus Major projects

Loddon Mallee South • Transport: connect existing cities

and towns

• Employment: stimulate local jobs

• Infrastructure: improve transport,

broadband access and energy

supply infrastructure

• Education: increase tertiary

education

• Sustainable land use in Bendigo

• Sandhurst Theatre

• New Bendigo Hospital

• Bendigo Art Gallery expansion

Loddon Mallee North • Regional development:

residential, industrial and

commercial development

• Renewable energy: Develop

large-scale solar generation

• Infrastructure: continued

investment in transport

• Employment: address skill

shortages

• Mildura Base Hospital

• Murray River bridge crossing

(Swan Hill)

• Mildura airport and riverfront

development

• Australian Tartaric Products

grape waste

to energy project (commercial

project)


High

Economic profile

• The total financial value of Loddon Mallee to Victoria’s economy through its varying industry

sectors is valued at approximately $21 billion.

• The Loddon Mallee region gains its main income from tourism, viticulture, horticulture, cropping,

cattle wool markets, equine industries, and manufacturing.

• The region is classed as one of the main food producing areas in Victoria ranging from irrigation

supported horticulture, dry land horticulture, dry land cropping, and dry land grazing.

• Additional key drivers for the region includes healthcare and social assistance programs,

transport and warehousing services, arts and recreation, and professional services.

• The Bendigo Bank is the only Australian bank to be headquartered in a regional area and

provides great economic and social support to the region.

• There is strong support for renewable energy markets and opportunities, including large and small

scale solar.

• The service sector (especially health and education) and related industries are growing. Other

strong

• economies include information technology and professional and business services.

• New economic opportunities include renewable energy, particularly large-scale solar projects;

mineral sands; and nature-based and Indigenous tourism.


Recent SV projects

• Regional Victoria Community Solar Hubs program: Bendigo and Mildura

• Central Victoria Solar City - Data Monitoring and Reporting for the

Central Victorian Solar Cities Program. Delivered by Sustainable

Regional Australia

• Smart Energy Zones: Central Victoria Solar City (Community solar parks

in Bendigo and Ballarat)

• Calder Highway Illegal Dumping and Litter Investigation Squad

• Mildura Education Centre (Eco Living project – Learning from a Landfill

project) officially opened in June and Final Report due August.

• RED Group - Recycling Plus Education = the Difference. Delivered by

RED Group Holding, engaging Victorian schools. Working with RWMGs.

Current SV projects

• Transition support to improve rural landfill infrastructure program, Mt

Alexander Shire Council, Castlemaine landfill

• Organics trial, Veolia Environmental Services, Lake Boga -Swan Hill

• Mildura Eco Living Centre, Mildura Rural City Council

• Wycheproof Community Resource Centre, winner of the Keep Australia

Beautiful Victoria, Community Government Partnership Award, Keep

Australia Beautiful Victoria Tidy

Towns -Sustainable Communities Awards 2012.

• Smarter Resources Smarter Business Energy and Materials Grants.

• Wycheproof, Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria Tidy Town of the Year

2012.

• Mildura projects include sharps and medical waste, education kit

upgrades, kerbside organics trial and tenders, polystyrene compactor,


home recycling eco bin, dog pouches, food waste avoidance and

Kerbside Pride for business, and attendance at the Mildura Sustainability

Living Festival 2013.

• Central Murray RWMG projects include Kerbside Pride organics and

education, increased awareness of recycling and waste diversion (get it

sorted, Kerbside Pride), Reduce Litter Grant, landfill and transfer station

assessment.

• Calder RWMG projects include organics management strategy, green

organics on farm management trial and Get it Right on Bin Night

campaign.

Third party

sustainability projects

• Resilient Community Assets Project, a joint grant project between Mount

Alexander, Macedon Ranges, Buloke, Loddon and Gannawarra Shire

Councils under the Victorian Adaptation and Sustainability Partnership.

The $240, 000 will address climate adaptation policies and programs in

the region and collaboration between the councils.

• Australian Tartaric Products in Colignan (Mildura region) received $1.7

million grant from Clean Tech Investment Program and $1.8 million from

RDV for a $7.5m bioenergy plant

• Grays Bakery in Kerang received $100,000 through the Victorian

Business Flood Recovery Fund to install new energy efficient ovens,

lighting and double-glazed windows.

• Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance received funding from the EEIG

program to offer road show seminars, partly funded business energy

assessments and award programs to SMEs in central Victoria

• The Victorian Government funds natural gas supply with a share of $100

million to extend natural gas across regional Victoria and encourage

greater investment in the regions

• City of Greater Bendigo Council received $380,000 from the

Commonwealth Government through the Community Energy Efficiency

Program to increase energy efficiency in seven of its highest energy

using facilities


SWOT analysis

Strengths

• Diverse agricultural region

• Diverse economic drivers

• Employment and training opportunities

• Close proximity to Melbourne (Southern

Loddon Mallee)

• Mildura and Bendigo airports

• Good infrastructure in regional centres

• Sustained growing population in majority of

council regions (especially southern Loddon

Mallee)

• State-of-the-art education facilities throughout

the region

• An abundance of sunshine (north of the

Dividing Range) and historic context for

tourism

Opportunities

• Exploitation of solar resources remains an

opportunity for the region.

• Further development of horticulture and

efficient farming practices.

Weaknesses

• Low population density in North Loddon

Mallee, with high growth in the southern

council regions.

• Travel distances from regions north of

Bendigo are prohibitive.

• Lack of broadband connection restrictive

• Skill shortages and mismatch or trained

workers for jobs available, therefore

excessive commuting from Bendigo, Mount

Alexander and Macedon Ranges regions to

Melbourne for employment.

Threats

• Maintaining infrastructure

• Ageing populations throughout Loddon

Mallee, particularly more isolated rural

farming zones to the north of Bendigo.

• Economy is vulnerable to unfavourable

exchange rates, and current uncertainty in

horticultural based industries.

• Skills and /or job shortages


Further reading

This section provides a list of organisations providing regional development information in Victoria.

All web addresses are correct as at June 2013.

ClimateWorks Australia

ClimateWorks Australia publishes a number of plans related to lowering emissions, including the low

carbon growth plans for Geelong and Gippsland.

www.climateworksaustralia.org/publications.html

Council websites

Most councils publish economic reports and statistics on their websites. A full list of councils with

websites is available on the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure website.

http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/localgovernment/find-your-local-council

Department of State Development, Business and Innovation (DSDBI)

DSDBI has published an Industry Atlas of Victoria (2011).

www.dsdbi.vic.gov.au/research-reports/industry-atlas-of-victoria

Regional Development Victoria (RDV)

RDV provides regional development summaries on the five regions and publishes regional and

subregional growth plans and strategic plans.

www.rdv.vic.gov.au/victorian-regions.

Fuelled for Growth: The 2012 Ernst and Young report on bioenergy (Fuelled for Growth: Investing in

Victoria’s biofuels and bioenergy industries) is available for download at

www.rdv.vic.gov.au/business-and-industry-programs/biofuels-and-bioenergy.

Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure (DTPLI)

DTPLI publishes regional and subregional growth plans and strategic plans for Victorian regions.

http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/projects-and-programs/regionalgrowthplans/

Profile.id

Profile.id uses the 2011 Census to provide comprehensive, online, socio-demographic profiles

of local government areas.

www.home.id.com.au/id-community/local-govt-products/profileid.

RWMG websites

The RWMGs publish business plans and annual reports on their websites. For a full list of RWMGs

and their websites, see contact details listed on the SV website: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au.

http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/localgovernment/find-your-local-council

http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/

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