the right place for Business Mayor’s message The City of Whittlesea is Our vision is underpinned by the committed to supporting following five key directions, which makes up our broader economic MAYOR CR LAWRIE COX our existing businesses, development strategy: small and large whilst 1 Strive to build a healthy, prosperous encouraging new and resilient community businesses to start, grow 2 Foster an environment that and prosper in the region. encourages the development of a vibrant local economy 3 Capitalise on the city’s human, Attracting new jobs for our growing natural and built resources to population is critical to improve maximise local employment the prosperity and liveability of 4 Promote the municipality as an our community. attractive destination to invest To ensure the local economy and work in, visit and enjoy reaches its potential, we aspire to 5 Collaborate with community, attract investment to provide the businesses and government to best possible foundation for our deliver resources and opportunities community to thrive. In order to create a vibrant Our vision is clear – to attract economy and local employment 10,000 new jobs to the City of opportunities, we must match Whittlesea over the next five years. job growth with residential It is an ambitious goal and one that growth – today but also for future provides clarity of purpose for our generations. However we’re also Economic Development team. Our aware that to create employment team have a big opportunity to growth, we must support it make a big contribution to the scale with the right infrastructure and size of employment growth development. within our municipality. This prospectus is designed to Everything we do is about helping assist you to make a well informed to sustain and grow local jobs in a decision to support the success of strong local economy – it’s our your business and your investment road map to success. opportunities in the municipality. We’re excited about the opportunities for the City of Whittlesea and we hope you’ll join us on this journey. 1 Contents 4 City snapshot 12 Access to a skilled and growing workforce Demographic profile 12 5 Future population growth Workforce profile 12 6 Whittlesea’s competitive advantage 14 Opportunities for investment Current and planned infrastructure Epping Central 15 commitments 6 Cooper Street Employment Precinct 16 Cooper Street West Employment Precinct 17 Thomastown Industrial Area 18 Join our existing businesses 8 University Hill 20 Plenty Valley Town Centre 22 9 A Council that works with you Priority development assessment process 9 24 Future developments Case management 9 Mernda Town Centre 24 Commitment to buy local 9 Wollert 24 Business education and networking Donnybrook / Woodstock 26 opportunities 9 Beveridge Intermodal Freight Terminal 26 Links to local workforce 9 Technology 9 29 Agriculture – an emerging industry in the City of Whittlesea 10 Economic Profile Regional – North 11 Local – City of Whittlesea 11 30 Visitor economy Key industries 11 Local employment profile 11 32 Contact us today 2 3 City snapshot Future population growth The City of Whittlesea is located in Melbourne’s CITY OF WHITTLESEA AT A GLANCE PROJECTED POPULATION northern suburbs, about ‘… a culturally diverse community’ 2018 - 2040 20 kilometres from the city centre. It is one of Melbourne’s largest 2018 municipalities, covering a 34 years – median age of residents 223,566 27.2% of population aged 0-19 years land area of approximately 16.3% of population aged over 60 years Total Population(2018) 490 square kilometres. 3.8% growth in 2017-18 Males 49.4% / Females 50.6% It welcomes more than 223,566 Rural Balance Estimated resident 7,000 new residents 3,207 3,664 % % % population every year. 82.9 42.3 21.6 Beveridge of residents of households of households are Humevale live in detached are couples with couples without Eden Park houses children children The majority of the City of Whilesea Township Kinglake and surrounds West 2040 Whittlesea population live in 5,535 6,943 urban areas. This is split across The most common the major established suburbs of % % languages spoken other Donnybrook Bundoora, Epping, Lalor, Mill Park 35.5 44.1 than English include 194 55,761 Woodstock and Thomastown; establishing of residents born of residents speak a Macedonian (5.1%), Yan Yean overseas language other than Arabic (5%), Italian (5%), 377,033 areas of Mernda, Doreen, South English at home Greek (3.7%), and Estimated resident Morang and Epping North; and Punjabi (3.2%) population the future growth precincts of Doreen Wollert Wollert, Donnybrook, Woodstock 25,191 29,817 280 35,346 Mernda and Whittlesea township and % % % 24,240 32,197 surrounds. 8.8 6.2 6.7 of population in of population in of population in primary school secondary school tertiary or technical Epping North The rural areas of the municipality, institutions 32,621 57,115 making up just over 60 per South Morang 24,269 30,536 cent of the city’s landscape, are Epping characterised by farming, forested 15,681 21,060 areas and historic township % Lalor Mill Park communities including Whittlesea. 7.2 30,833 31,391 24,712 28,729 Unemployment 2018 2040 The Wurundjeri Willum people Thomastown Bundoora were the original inhabitants of 21,893 26,973 14,909 17,501 the area and are the traditional owners of this land. 4 5 Whittlesea’s competitive advantage Melbourne’s north is Current and planned T o W growing and changing and infrastructure hi Merriang Road tt les with this growth comes commitments ea ) P y l e opportunity. The City of w n Melbourne’s North is set F t y e R m o Whittlesea is strategically u a to benefit from a number H Don d ( nybrook Road 1 located, with easy access 3 of committed infrastructure Donnybroo M k Road – to the CBD, Melbourne y Freeway Hume projects. e n d Airport and the Port of y S o Epping Road Melbourne. Together with t e t a O’HERNS ROAD WIDENING t key infrastructure and land s r e AND INTERCHANGE t availability, it provides n I businesses with a unique EDGARS ROAD EXTENSION M3 competitive advantage. 1 Bridge Inn Road ( P EPPING ROAD DUPLICATION rop Bridg o e In ( n Road s P – Findon Road to Craigieburn Road P e Craigieburn Road East r l e o d n p t o Y W y a s ed R n H o o l Y u l e PLENTY ROAD WIDENING a E m e r d 6 a t t e ) n r F a R – McKimmies Road to Bush E r il p e o e a e p w x d i Edgars Road Edgars t Boulevard n a e g Road g y ns i o n PLENTY ROAD ADDITIONAL LANE ) O'Herns – Bush Boulevard to Bridge Road M Inn Road 3 Coo 1 per Street McDonalds Road Cooper CHILDS ROAD DUPLICATION Street – Across E6 corridor Epping Staon P l BRIDGE INN ROAD en (P ro ty H URBANISATION AND p R u o 23km o m s T a ed e DUPLICATION o Edgars Road d Melbourne F W E r 6) e e High Street e Airport st w e a YAN YEAN ROAD DUPLICATION rn y Su M80 Road Network – Kurrak Road to Bridge Inn Road bu rb tan Ring Road Train Line and urbanisation to Arthurs s a Metropoli nd Creek Road Ge el ong 20km Melbourne CBD 6 & Port 7 Join our existing A Council that businesses works with you Whittlesea is home to a large The City of Whittlesea Priority Development New investors and existing number of businesses and has a strong Assessment Process businesses are further supported organisations including: by additional Council initiatives commitment to partner Council has introduced the including: and collaborate with Priority Development Assessment MELBOURNE WHOLESALE Process for developments that Case management FRUIT, VEGETABLE AND FLOWER businesses. You will trigger jobs and investment. The MARKET have access to a strong streamlined process fast-tracks a A case management model for network, advice and planning application if it increases business enquiries that provides MISSION FOODS investment and employment a seamless, centralised and support through outcomes in the municipality. integrated liaison process. MAINFREIGHT relationships with The process will deliver a NORTHERN HOSPITAL AND NORTH Link, Department streamlined, case management Commitment to buy local NORTHPARK PRIVATE HOSPITAL of Jobs, Precincts and approach with timely decisions Council is committed to increase within six weeks. Regions and northern the number of local businesses COSTCO and suppliers providing goods and region Councils. services to Council by 10 per cent WESTFIELD by 2021. PACIFIC EPPING SHOPPING Business education and CENTRE networking opportunities ENERSYS Council continues to support our business community in a MUSHROOM EXCHANGE coordinated way with the right programs, events and networking TURI FOODS opportunities. BERTOCCHI SMALLGOODS Links to local workforce MELBOURNE POLYTECHNIC Highly skilled and diverse community and employment SERCO programs readily available to support the growth and success of WESTPAC AND ANZ BUSINESS your business. BANKING CENTRES VIC ROADS Technology Access to Australia’s largest RMIT UNIVERSITY Internet Of Things (IOT) network. 8 9 Economic profile Doing business in the Regional – North KEY INDUSTRIES City of Whittlesea has Melbourne’s north is an economic Growing Emerging powerhouse producing over $40 billion a number of economic % and lifestyle advantages. 17 worth of goods and services every year and growing by 4.7% per annum Rapid population growth, a skilled local workforce, • A robust and growing economy with over 75,000 businesses supported Health care and close proximity and by over 360,000 local jobs and social assistance Professional Largest increase in hospitals access to major roads The North supplied adding approximately 5,000 new and infrastructure and businesses every year educational institutions, • Priority sectors include Agritech and % Food Tech, Digital and Professional are among the many 60 Services, Food, Fibre and Beverage, Retail trade advantages of the region.