Gippsland offers a variety of natural attractions like nowhere else in Victoria. From rugged alpine mountain ranges, historic rural towns to pristine beaches, Gippsland is a diverse place attracting local and international visitors all year around.

The tourism industry in Gippsland is an important contributor to the region’s economy, worth $2.4 billion in direct and indirect expenditure per annum. Gippsland has outperformed regional Victoria for domestic and international visitation percentage growth, with 10.8 million visitors to the region annually. The visitor economy supports over 3,000 businesses who derive the majority of their income from overnight and daytrip visitors.

Strongly backed by the government, multiple projects have been put into place to further Gippsland’s visitor economy. This includes the $48 million upgrade of the Philip Island Nature Park, the $30 million Latrobe Creative Arts Precinct and the $13.9 million West Gippsland Arts Centre.

To develop East Gippsland’s circular economy, there is then a need to support and foster initiatives to reduce waste, redesign products and production methods and increase the use of recycled products.

Many leading economists, like Ross Garnaut, see the transition to a net-zero economy as
a massive opportunity for regional Australia, creating an array of economic opportunities for new products, processes and industries.

Agriculture, as but one example, will have opportunities to transition to more resilient food production systems that are innovative, diverse, risk-managed and climate-ready. Places and businesses that act first can take advantage of being an early mover.

Climate change is likely to impact on the Ballarat community over the coming decades. There are expected changes in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, changes to the water cycle affecting agriculture and other key industries, and concerns about the ongoing threat of natural disasters such as bushfires and floods. In terms of a growing population, the impact of such changes can have increasingly significant impacts.

Australia’s per capita production rate of greenhouse gases is one of the highest in the world. It is estimated that by improving the way we design, build and live, Victorians could save at least 50% of the energy that we use. As part of being an informed community, Ballarat needs to play its part by moderating its contribution to climate change/ reducing carbon emissions, and work to become more resilient to climate change impacts.

Recognised as a UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art, Ballarat is the perfect place to switch off and choose your own analogue adventure.

Horsham Regional Art Gallery has an impressive collection of Australian photography and contemporary art. The Ararat Regional Gallery hosts a dynamic textile collection while the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery is home to a stunning collection of Australian colonial, goldfields and contemporary art.

The Museum of Australian Democracy Eureka, on the site of the Eureka Stockade, is Australia’s newest museum dedicated to democracy. The Eureka Flag, is on loan from the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, is the centrepiece of the museum’s exhibitions.

The Grampians hosts a range of festivals including the iconic Stawell Gift, the Horsham Awakenings Festival, Nati Fringe Festival, Grampians Grape Escape food and wine festival, Daylesford Chill Out, Clunes Back to Booktown, Ballarat Heritage Weekend, Grampians Wildflower Festival, the Ararat Jailhouse Rock Festival, the Grampians Jazz Festival, the Ballarat Beer Festival and the Ballarat Royal South Street competitions.

Stretching from the western edge of Melbourne to the South Australian border, the Grampians region includes the major townships of Edenhope, Nhill, Warracknabeal, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat, Beaufort, Ballarat, Bannockburn, Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh.

Steeped in gold rush history the Grampians is home to Sovereign Hill, the Silo Arts Trail and natural attractions including the Grampians National Park, Mt Arapiles and the Little Desert National Park.

Agriculture and food production are major industries across the Grampians, with extensive dryland farming in the Wimmera Southern Mallee sub-region. Opportunities across the region include artisanal food and beverage production, broad acre intensive cropping and diversified agriculture.

The Grampians region is positioned to capitalise on renewable energy, manufacturing, tourism and intensified agriculture production.

Ballarat is home to two major tertiary institutions – Federation University and Australian Catholic University Ballarat Campus – renowned for courses in nursing, education, IT, engineering, science and much more. Federation University also has its accompanying TAFE school based in the centre of town.

Agriculture is one of the largest employers in the Grampians region, employing 7,804 people and producing outputs worth $2.3billion.

The region is one of the world’s largest grain, pulse and oilseed growing regions and exports about 60 per cent of the total harvest. The regional economy is heavily reliant on agricultural production, which contributes millions of dollars each year to the Victorian economy and is fundamental to Horsham’s strength.

Grampians Health Ballarat is the main public referral health service to the Grampians region of Victoria, with a catchment population of over 250,000 people. A teaching, training and research provider, we deliver care across all health settings, including: in home, community programs, aged care and all hospital admissions.

Grampians Health Ballarat is committed to providing excellence in care for its patients, staff and communities – with a vision to deliver world-class health care, an engaged workforce, effective leadership, and a strong connection to the community and region.

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.

We want a future Ballarat with an embedded culture of innovative thinking and entrepreneurialism, where the spark of creativity is nurtured everywhere. A Ballarat that celebrates is unique identity and heritage, that demonstrates leadership in sustainability, and a Ballarat that is a compassionate city – with a strong, caring community.

As chair of the Grampians New Energy Taskforce (GNET) Mr Benjamin oversees working groups to maximise the economic and community benefits of investment and innovation in new and renewable energy.

Mining at Ballarat Gold Mine aims to maintain a production rate of 40,000 to 50,000 ounces of gold per year from underground drilling programmes targeting resources adjacent to existing workings and which have significant additional potential for mine life extension.

Steeped in gold rush history the Grampians is home to Sovereign Hill, the Silo Arts Trail and natural attractions including the Grampians National Park, Mt Arapiles and the Little Desert National Park.

A year-round calendar of special events and festivals ensures there’s always a special reason to visit this regional centre, which is Victoria’s third-largest city. These events include the award-winning Ballarat Heritage Festival, the Ballarat Begonia Festival, the bi-annual International Foto Biennale, Sovereign Hill’s Winter Wonderlights and a celebration of incredible local wines at Pyrenees Unearthed Wine and Food Festival.

We want to get our contamination rate of recycling bins down to zero and reduce how much waste is going to landfill. Up to 16% of items that are placed in our recycling bins cannot be recycled.

Not transporting waste back to landfill would save about 22,000km each year. That equals about 200 semi-trailers loads, or 4900 tonnes, from Ballarat to Melbourne, and would save about 75 tonnes a year of greenhouse gases from reduced heavy vehicle transport each year.

Climate change is predicted to have significant consequences for the biodiversity of the Central Hume region. Research indicates that the effects of climate change will occur at many different levels, from individual animals to ecosystems. Species may alter their distribution, abundance, behaviour and the timing of events such as migration or breeding.

The most susceptible species will be those with restricted or specialised habitat requirements or small populations, as well as those that lack the ability to disperse easily.

Climate change will also have indirect impacts on biodiversity, through increased pressure from competitors, predators, parasites, diseases and disturbances. Altered patterns of water flow in rivers and wetlands and decreasing snow cover, combined with the increased occurrence of bushfires, droughts and floods will influence the composition of ecosystems, particularly in alpine areas.

The future climate of the Hume Region is predicted to be hotter and drier than the long-term average, resulting in an increased risk of droughts and extreme fire danger days.

A number of festivals are held in the Hume region offering something for everyone. The Bright Autumn Festival, Euroa's Show n Shine, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, Rutherglen Winery Walkabout, APS Head of the River in Nagambie, the Australian Superbike Championship in Winton and SheppARTon Festival are just a few to add to your calendar.

Manufacturing is the largest employer in the Central Hume region, followed by retail, health and community services. Wodonga has an important manufacturing base, with many national companies established in the area as well as a significant defence force presence.

Hume is a fast-growing region in Victoria with a social and cultural fabric and heritage to match its natural beauty. Renowned for world-class wines and gourmet food, the region is woven together by the Goulburn, Broken, Ovens, Kind and Kiewa Rivers – all vital to sustaining a rich environment, lifestyle and business. The Strathbogie Ranges represent the gateway to Victoria’s High Country and integral to the region popularity for nature-based tourism and cycling.

Hume is extremely varied in its industry and employment make-up, with a strong concentration of agriculture in the west and the alpine, wine and gourmet food areas in the region's east making tourism a strong contributor to regional employment.

Two of Australia’s nationally important transport routes – the Hume and Goulburn Valley transport corridors – traverse the region, providing an exceptional competitive advantage by linking supply chains to national and international markets through Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.

The Goulburn Valley area is a long-established agricultural region, which is at the forefront of global food production. Traditional broad acre farming combined with dairy, viticulture, orchards, olives and aquaculture endorse the 'food bowl' label, and various large and international companies call the region home including SPC Ardmona, Uncle Toby's, Mars Petcare and the Woolworths Distribution Centre.

Goulburn Ovens TAFE (GOTAFE) offers a range of courses at the Wangaratta and Benalla campuses.

The Upper Hume sub region is well serviced in higher education. La Trobe University has a student campus in Wodonga and a multi-purpose centre in Beechworth, Wodonga TAFE offers a broad range of courses and Albury- Wodonga Community College is expanding its higher education offerings.

Albury has campuses of Charles Sturt University, the University of New South Wales School of Medicine and Riverina TAFE. These facilities can be accessed easily from Wodonga and its surrounds.

Opportunities exist in the region for sustainable electricity generation in close proximity to existing electricity distribution infrastructure. Potential and existing alternative energy resources in the region include:

 wind energy in the Strathbogie Ranges
 solar energy, particularly in the northern parts of the region
 hydro-electricity related to key water resources
 bioenergy and biofuel generation from waste products, such as agricultural wastes
 other opportunities for local power generation and distribution.

Earth resources, in the form of minerals and quarry products, make a valuable economic and social contribution to the Hume Region. Opportunities to take further advantage of earth resources could support the diversification of the regional economy. Planning for these activities needs to continue to consider environmental and community values and access to markets.

Opportunities to develop minerals and extractive industries should be further explored, supported and managed. Past mining activities in the region have degraded substantial areas of alluvial soils. Minerals and extractive industry activities are now regulated to manage environmental impacts such as potential impacts on ground water.

Agriculture is still an important component of the Hume economy but its contribution is declining. The service economy has experienced the strongest employment growth in the last decade. Viticulture has grown as an industry, supported by fine-food areas, particularly in Milawa, Oxley and the Kiewa, Ovens and King Valleys.

The Goulburn Valley has a strong rural economy based on irrigated and dry land agriculture, grazing, viticulture and forestry. The region is widely regarded as the food bowl of the Murray darling Basin. In other areas particularly in Strathbogie Shire, there is a significant equine industry.

The Goulburn Valley region is of national significance for dairying and horticulture and supports a large fruit and vegetable processing industry. The dairy and beef industries account for a high proportion of this value, although wool and meat dominate in Strathbogie Shire. Major food-processing companies are located in the region, including SpC Ardmona, Campbell’s Soups and Unilever.

The main primary industries are horticulture, dairy, cropping, viticulture, wool, forestry and grazing (sheep and beef).

Grazing is the dominant agricultural land use and the proximity of the region to Melbourne accounts for the relatively high value of production, particularly from the poultry industry. Pockets of horticulture also exist, including nurseries, cut flowers, cultivated turf, tomatoes and berries produced primarily for the Melbourne market. The region also has viticulture and aquaculture industries (trout and salmon).

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.