PROSPECTUSWellington Shire 1 1 | WELCOME TO WELLINGTON SHIRE Welcome to the middle of everywhere! The Council’s 100% planning delegations with the best planning reputation in Gippsland is often the compelling CONTENTS Wellington Shire is truly in the ‘middle of everywhere’ as reason for new business to locate here or to invest. The poultry evidenced in the short video clip below. Many studies have industry is a proven example of that. shown that lifestyle factors and where the owner wants to live is the key determinant for where a new business relocates or The Wellington Shire Investment Prospectus outlines the where investment occurs. In that regard Wellington Shire has a strategic competitive advantages and investment opportunities WELCOME TO competitive advantage over other regional areas for investment all in one place. Often you have to look in many places for all 1 or for new business. The advocate videos in this prospectus of this information. We have gathered this information into WELLINGTON SHIRE provide first hand testimonials of this – don’t just take our word a single document for your convenience – private/public for it. Many of the advocates have relocated from Melbourne sector investment opportunities, Wellington Shire at a glance, and we hope to attract more virtual commuters. economic profile, major residential/commercial/industrial 2 GUNAIKURNAI COUNTRY growth areas and key industries. The RAAF base, dairying, the oil/gas industry and forestry have been the backbone of our economy serviced by a Please contact us with any enquires you may have. WELLINGTON AT A GLANCE number of distinctive towns. Renewable energy (wind, solar 3 and bioenergy), the new poultry industry and the massive Thank you. expansion of the RAAF base into an Australia wide Air Academy Phone: 1300 366 244 4 ABOUT WELLINGTON are some examples of exciting developments. Email: [email protected] 5 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES - PRIVATE SECTOR 6 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES - PUBLIC SECTOR 7 LIFESTYLE BENEFITS 8 ECONOMIC PROFILE 9 KEY INDUSTRIES OF WELLINGTON SHIRE 10 FIND OUT MORE 1 2 2 | GUNAIKURNAI COUNTRY 3 | WELLINGTON AT A GLANCE Wellington Shire Council Just a 2.5 hour drive from Melbourne, Strategic advantages A range of private sector recognises the important Wellington Shire boasts a range of beautiful of Wellington Shire: investment opportunities: role that Aboriginal environments to explore, with its pristine people have had in the beaches, picturesque mountain ranges, history and the continued temperate rainforests, wetlands and plenty of ✓ An ‘open for business’ ✓ Port of Sale Cultural and growth of Wellington diverse contrasting spaces to take your council with timely Civic Precinct Shire. As such, the breath away. turnarounds ✓ West Sale Industrial Council recognises the This stunning Shire in the heart of Gippsland ✓ Diversified regional Precinct Gunaikurnai People as economy that provides the traditional custodians offers prospective residents, businesses and investors the opportunity to be part of a region strong long-term ✓ Swanlake Business Park of the land and pays economic prospects experiencing continued success across robust respect to Gunaikurnai ✓ Wellington Business Park Elders past, present legacy industries, as well as exciting and ✓ Excellent transport and emerging. innovative developments. corridors to key hubs in ✓ West Sale Airport Victoria, NSW and the ACT ✓ Significant growth fronts across the region ✓ Water security, highly productive soils and a temperate climate Strong and well- established major Public sector investment industries that support across public works the local and State-Wide projects: economy: ✓ Extension of the famous ✓ Agriculture Great Southern Rail Trail to improve access for ✓ Oil and gas more Victorians ✓ Public administration ✓ Upgrade of Sale Aqua and safety Energy Leisure Centre to modernise facilities and ✓ Aviation and defence improve accessibility ✓ Renewable energy and ✓ Sale alternative truck carbon capture bypass to reduce travel times, decrease heavy ✓ Health care and social traffic through Sale and support improve road safety ✓ Construction ✓ The Wedge entertainment centre upgrade 3 4 4 | ABOUT WELLINGTON LOCALITY PLAN Wellington Shire is the third largest municipality in Victoria, covering an area of 10,924 square kilometres There is a wide variety BUSINESSES MAJOR TOWNS CLIMATE to the east of the state. of industry and business Wellington Shire is easily contributing to the local 32°C accessible from Melbourne 2.5 HOURS economy including; by either road or rail with an mining, offshore oil and approximate travel time of gas extraction, primary 2.5 hours. Linked to Sydney production and agriculture, 16°C MELBOURNE and Melbourne by the Princes tourism and service HEYFIELD MAFFRA 59cm SALE Highway, it also boasts direct industries, retail, healthcare, STRATFORD ROSEDALE links to Canberra and the education and community SALE 4,029 eastern seaboard of New services. Agricultural land South Wales. in Wellington Shire offers YARRAM some of the best conditions JOBS in the state, with Gippsland fast developing a name as GROSS-REGIONAL Victoria’s Food Bowl. The EDUCATION PRODUCT ALPINE Macalister Irrigation District, WELLINGTON SHIRE with its centre at Maffra, NATIONAL PARK supports Wellington’s strong dairy, beef and vegetable $2.8 TO LAKES growing industries comprising ENTRANCE / NSW 18,111 TAFE GIPPSLAND LAKE GLENMAGGIE award winning businesses OPENING IN SALE IN 2022 BILLION providing goods Australia wide. The ESSO gas plant, POPULATION VALUE OF TOURISM MAFFRA south of Sale, supplies HEYFIELD Victoria and New South Wales 5 STRATFORD MACALISTER IRRIGATION with natural gas. A number SECONDARY LAKE VICTORIA of local companies provide SCHOOLS $182 DISTRICT services to the Bass Strait oil RAAF Base MILLION East Sale and gas industry, operated LAKE by Exxon Mobil (ESSO) who PRINCES HIGHWAY WELLINGTON LOCH SPORT ROSEDALE completed the construction 30 HOSPITALS AND SALE of a $1b gas reconditioning 44,380 PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES plant in 2017, confirming SCHOOLS TO MELBOURNE GIPPSLAND RAIL LINE LONGFORD our place as one of Victoria’s major energy regions. POPULATION AGE BREAKDOWN (2018) MAJOR SHOPPING Main highways GOLDEN BEACH PRECINCTS Gippsland Rail Line 75+ 8.10% HEYFIELD HOSPITAL MAFFRA DISTRICT HOSPITAL 55-74 26.95% GIPPSLAND BASE HOSPITAL 90 MILE BEACH SEASPRAY Gas and Oil Extraction RAYMOND STREET SOUTH GIPPSLAND HIGHWAY 35-54 24.31% SALE GIPPSLAND CENTRE LOCH SPORT COMMUNITY SALE YARRAM 20-34 16.72% HEALTH CARE JOHNSON ST RAMAHYUCK DISTRICT TO MELBOURNE MAFFRA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION 1-19 23.91% COMMERCIAL RD YARRAM AND DISTRICT YARRAM HEALTH SERVICES PORT ALBERT 5 6 5 | STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES HELEN’S STORY Helen and her husband Robert manage the Best Friend Holiday Retreat in the Tarra Valley, Gippsland. Their family moved to Tarra Valley from Melbourne after being amazed by the incredibly beautiful rainforest and charm of rural life. Helen and Robert bought the for-sale holiday retreat after a single visit, and have welcomed countless guests to the charming property ever since. Helen has also continued in her Wellington has well professional career by working as a doctor at the local hospital established, stable, export- part-time. orientated and increasingly People want to come into the area and diverse industries. Much “ of the economic stability “ experience the best of what regional has come from strong Victoria has to offer primary industries (agribusiness, oil and gas). In turn these have provided important opportunities in An ‘open for business’ council with quick Water security, highly productive soils and a secondary sectors such as approval turnarounds temperate climate manufacturing and food processing. Along with Wellington Shire has the best performing Land Use Planning Agricultural land in Wellington Shire offers some of the best growth in existing industries team in Victoria, as evidenced by the Consulting Surveyors conditions in the state, with Gippsland fast developing a name such as defence and health, Victoria’s 2017 and 2021 Award for Municipal Excellence Rural as Victoria’s Food Bowl. The Macalister Irrigation District, with new investment, innovation Category. The Council’s Planning Team enables the quick its centre at Maffra, supports Wellington’s strong dairy, beef and technology is helping turnaround of planning applications and provides business and vegetable growing industries comprising award winning to diversify and further certainty when investing in Wellington Shire. businesses providing goods Australia wide. The Macalister strengthen the economy. Irrigation District has recently benefited from a $62.7m Wellington Shire is also part of the broader Gippsland region’s investment in irrigation infrastructure. ‘Economic Growth Zone’, which has been established as part of Wellington Shire is a $266 million regional economic development program. celebrated for its: Affordable property and land The communities in Wellington Shire boast a variety of ✓ ‘Open for business’ Diversified regional economy that provides affordable housing options. When compared to similar houses culture with the best strong long-term economic prospects Land Use Planning team in metropolitan or larger regional centres, properties in in Victoria Wellington’s economy is stable because of its ‘specialised Wellington Shire are available at significantly lower prices. In diversity’. Unlike many other parts of rural Victoria, the shire 2019 median house prices in Wellington were