Regional Economic News Summary

REGIONAL ECONOMIC NEWS SUMMARY –

June 2016 Enterprise Geelong monitors the media for topics relating to our economy.

2 June 2016 Geelong Draft concept plans have been released for a Surf Coast Arts Precinct Entertainment hub on the Advertiser corner of Surf Coast Highway and Grossmans Rd. Plans include an outdoor amphitheatre, cinema, childcare centre, medical services, food outlets, service station and an aged care facility. 3 June 2016 Independent The Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative is developing a business plan for a proposed Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) at little River, benefits of IPA’s include employment opportunities for indigenous communities as well as protecting biodiversity and cultural heritage. 4 June 2016 Geelong Geelong’s Techne Development hopes to win the NDIA/DHS headquarters tender with plans for Advertiser the Carlton Hotel block, creating an ‘insurance’ precinct with Worksafe and the TAC. 8 June 2016 Geelong Adv. Mental health service Pathways is to be acquired by national operator Neami National. 12 June 2016 Geelong Manufacturing company Maddison Engineering who fabricate equipment for mining trucks has Advertiser opened in Corio with 5 employees with plans to increase that to 15 in 6 months. 16 June 2016 Geelong Barwon Water has plans to create a one-megawatt solar farm made up of 3800 solar panels at its Advertiser Black Rock plant. 18 June 2016 Geelong A report by GROW project consultants ArcBlue found that of the $17 billion-plus of procurement Advertiser each year in the G21 region, as little as 36 per cent was going to local suppliers and that the shortfall provides a lucrative opportunity. An increase of just 7 per cent in local buying is estimated to create 2500 jobs and inject $1 billion annually into the regional economy by 2020. 21 June 2016 Geelong Local bids for round three of the National Stronger Regions Fund include: Advertiser  Geelong Waterfront Safe Harbour Precinct, $8.99m  Destination Queenscliff Precinct Revitalisation, $3.48m  Geelong Regional Bowls Facility, $4.25m  Bannockburn Civic Heart Precinct, $1.2m  Haven Geelong, $1m  Colac CBD and Entrances Project, $975,000. Successful projects expected to be announced next month. 23 June 2016 Geelong Latest modelling by National Disability Services forecasts 1200 new jobs for the Barwon region Advertiser over the next three years with the growth of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The 1200 new positions will be separate from an expected 350 jobs at Geelong's new National Disability Insurance Agency headquarters. 24 June 2016 Victorian An $80 million 11-storey development at 22-28 Brougham Street, by Grocon, has been approved Government by the minister for planning and will include 13,100 square metres of office space accommodating media release up to 850 workers, 116 car parks and 100 bicycle spaces. 30 June 2016 Architecture & The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has agreed to finance the 1 Malop Street commercial Design project being designed by Peckvonhartel and being developed in Geelong by property fund manager, Quintessential Equity. The $68 million funding will enable Quintessential Equity to implement additional energy efficiency initiatives at its new $120 million development, which will become the first Victorian multi-storey commercial office building outside of the Melbourne CBD to achieve a 5.5 star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) base building energy rating.