Gippsland is well suited to agribusiness and the region is fortunate to have a combination of stable climate, strong rainfall patterns, arable soils and close proximity to processing, transport and markets, making it a premium investment destination.

Infrastructure like the Macalister Irrigation District covers 53,000 hectares and distributes water to irrigators through a gravity fed system of channels and pipes.

With a $7 billion net worth, the region is renowned for its high-end agricultural products, grown on some of Australia’s best-quality agricultural land. These natural advantages make it a favoured investment region for successful enterprises. The reputation of Gippsland’s food and fibre production is grounded in good stewardship of resources.

Gippsland has over 9,000 food and fibre businesses and employs 16% of the workforce in the region, with about three quarters of the workers engaged on the farm and roughly 25% in value-added production. Gippsland is a dairy power house producing 22% of Australia’s dairy including milk, milk powder, butter, cheese, yogurt and other value-added products.

The region also produces 25% of the beef in Victoria (much of it for export), wool and prime lamb as well as 27% of Victoria’s vegetables. Further, Gippsland houses the largest pulp and paper mill in Australia and produces 23% of Victoria’s timber. A strong trend towards the organic, viticulture and aquaculture sector has been growing with new businesses emerging.

Lakes Entrance is the home of one of Australia's largest fishing fleets, while Mallacoota is the base of a significant abalone industry.

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.

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.

Geelong has several growing and thriving industries - including advanced manufacturing, clean technologies, transport, warehousing and logistics, research and innovation, professional and advisory services, creative industries, the visitor economy and major events.

The Greater Avalon Industrial Precinct is one of several locations to attract a range of innovative industries and will soon be home to Hanwha Defense Australia’s $170 million Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence, as well as Recharge Industries $300 million lithium-ion battery cell production facility.

Hanwha Defense Australia will manufacture self-propelled howitzers and armoured ammunition resupply vehicles for the Australian Army. Recharge Industries will create thousands of jobs supplying new generation batteries to defence and commercial customers.

Geelong companies with defence industry capabilities include Air Radiators, Automotive Research Centre, BullEx Australia, Chemring, Cross Laminated Offsite Solutions, Deakin University, Flaim Systems, Hanwha, IXL Group, Marand, McHugh & Eastwood, Quickstep, RAPP Australia, Recharge Industries, RPC Technologies, Sykes, Winchester, UMS and XTM Performance.

Melbourne has a highly diversified economy with particular strengths in finance, manufacturing, research, IT, education, logistics, transportation and tourism.

Melbourne houses the headquarters of many of Australia's largest corporations, including five of the ten largest in the country (based on revenue), and five of the largest seven in the country.

It is the Australian base for a number of significant manufacturers including Boeing Australia, truck makers Kenworth and Iveco, Cadbury, Alstom and Jayco.

It is also home to a wide variety of other manufacturers, ranging from petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals to fashion garments, paper manufacturing and food processing.

The city also has a research and development hub for Ford Australia, as well as a global design studio and technical centre for General Motors and Toyota

CSL one of the world's top five biotech companies, and Sigma Pharmaceuticals have their headquarters in Melbourne. The two are the largest listed Australian pharmaceutical companies. Melbourne has an important ICT industry, home to more than half of Australia’s top 20 technology companies.

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.

Melbourne has a highly diversified economy with particular strengths in finance, manufacturing, research, IT, education, logistics, transportation and tourism.

Melbourne houses the headquarters of many of Australia's largest corporations, including five of the ten largest in the country (based on revenue), and five of the largest seven in the country.

It is the Australian base for a number of significant manufacturers including Boeing Australia, truck makers Kenworth and Iveco, Cadbury, Alstom and Jayco.

It is also home to a wide variety of other manufacturers, ranging from petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals to fashion garments, paper manufacturing and food processing.

The city also has a research and development hub for Ford Australia, as well as a global design studio and technical centre for General Motors and Toyota

CSL one of the world's top five biotech companies, and Sigma Pharmaceuticals have their headquarters in Melbourne. The two are the largest listed Australian pharmaceutical companies. Melbourne has an important ICT industry, home to more than half of Australia’s top 20 technology companies.

High value manufacturing is one promising prospective growth sector for the region, particularly in Geelong. The sector provides an opportunity to retain the depth of Geelong’s manufacturing know-how and use those skills for different applications, such as automotive and aeronautical parts design and production, clean technologies and advanced fibre manufacturing.

Tourism in Barwon South West represents a significant opportunity for future growth. While it was not identified by the Victorian Government as one of the future opportunity industries, it is a major economic driver for the Barwon South West region, particularly in coastal areas.

The regions’ strengths are predominantly in its nature-based attractions, such as rugged coastline, natural parks and reserves, wildlife, water, beaches and recreational fishing. The Great Ocean Road is of particular importance to the whole region, as it intersects the Barwon and Great South Coast regions, and is one of Victoria’s most iconic tourism assets.

The Great Ocean Road attracts more than 6 million tourists each year. This will rise to more than 8 million tourists in the next decade.

The Barwon region has an array of renewable energy assets, including wind, solar and bioenergy. Solar power is the most prominent source of renewable energy in the region, and along with wind is the communities preferred technology for renewable generation

The current renewable energy landscape in Barwon includes wind and solar generation in the inland northern areas of Colac Otway as well as solar farms in Geelong and near Torquay.

Viva Energy’s Geelong Refinery began operations in 1954. Today it’s one of two refineries remaining in Australia, employing around 700 people and supplying over 50 percent of Victoria’s and 10 percent of Australia’s fuel.

The Barwon Renewable Energy Partnership (B-REP) of Barwon Water, Barwon Health and Geelong Port has collectively taken a big step towards using 100% renewable electricity and producing net zero emissions having secured a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a local wind farm.

Barwon Water has drawn on its 110-year knowledge of managing water and wastewater to partner with local councils to transform organic waste into valuable resources.

The Regional Renewable Organics Network (Regional RON) would process 40,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial organic waste each year, diverting waste from landfill and concentrating it into 8,000 tonnes of products that improve soil quality for agricultural uses, as well as generating renewable energy.

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges we face together as a community. Broad-scale urgent action is required to respond to current impacts and to prepare for emerging impacts as climate change intensifies.

Our responses to climate change need to be fair, equitable and conducted in partnership - the Barwon South West community, industries and sectors are well placed to respond to issues together.

Environmentally, the Barwon South West enjoys higher than average rainfall and wind, providing us with ongoing competitive strengths in agriculture, food, renewable and clean energy production. The region also boasts nearly forty percent of Victoria’s coastline, including marine national parks, the Surf Coast, the Shipwreck Coast and the iconic Great Ocean Road.

Residents in the Barwon South West region have observed the impacts of climate change – about two-thirds believe that more bushfires, storms/flooding, drought and coastal erosion have occurred in Victoria during the past 10 years. The majority know that climate change is influencing the occurrence of these events and are concerned about future impacts.

Many community-driven climate action initiatives are taking place across the region. This action is led by community groups and passionate individuals who are determined to support their communities to prepare and respond to climate impacts. For example, local community energy groups are supporting communities to reduce emissions through local initiatives and advocacy, our Neighbourhood Houses are driving circular economy initiatives and our dedicated coastal volunteers are contributing to important data about the way our coastline is changing.

The Region has irrigated dairy and horticulture in the local government areas adjacent to the Murray River as well as large-scale cropping and grazing throughout the Region.

Intensive animal husbandry is of growing importance in certain locations in the southern part of the Region.

Agriculture and food production play a major role supporting the economy of rural communities, small towns and regional centres.

The extensive food processing industry adds value to the agricultural produce within the Region, creating jobs and increasing the economic output from the Region.

The Region is home to the prosperous and vibrant regional cities of Bendigo, one of the State’s largest and fastest growing regional cities, and Mildura, the major regional city for the north of the Region and the largest urban centre on the edge of the outback. Echuca, Swan Hill, Castlemaine, Gisborne, Kyneton and Maryborough are also important centres, offering employment and lifestyle services.

Our premium, clean, and green products, supported by strong water policy and forest, land, lakes, and coastal management, are in demand worldwide. Our natural assets make us a renowned eco and Traditional Owner and Aboriginal cultural tourism, food, and beverage destination.

We are transitioning to become a leader in sustainable energy and forest products and cultivating the circular economy.

Regional Australia, and Gippsland are seeing a significant growth in “new energy” opportunities and projects such as medium-large scale solar and large scale off shore wind - Star of the South.

Climate change, climate variability and increased natural hazard risk is a significant barrier to the ongoing economic prosperity of East Gippsland.

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.

Gippsland is home to the Federation University campus at Churchill. Federation University provides easy access to a range of courses and research opportunities for rural and regional students.

The Federation University has the highest overall employment rating with 92% of any Victorian-based university. The university experience is highly regarded among graduates, rating Federation University 5 stars for both student support and overall satisfaction.

Complimenting Federation University’s program, the development of the Gippsland Hi-Tech Precinct in Morwell is currently underway, a centre for research, business incubation, new product development, start up support, and education and training.

Based in Bairnsdale and Sale, the Gippsland East Higher Education Study Hub provides local support services for students studying locally at Federation University or by distance education through universities across Australia. Vocational education and training courses are offered across the region at TAFE Gippsland’s campuses from Leongatha to Lakes Entrance.

The creative and entertainment sector is diverse, consisting of a mix of artistic and non-artistic sectors, commercially driven businesses, start-ups and microenterprises, individual practitioners, not-for-profit and community organisations, and cultural institutions.

The creative scene in East Gippsland is strong, but there is a lack of arts infrastructure and an under celebration of the region’s heritage and culture.

The state-of-the-art Gippsland Performing Arts Centre is set to electrify the region’s performing arts scene and create world-class professional training opportunities for artists across Gippsland.

Barwon South West has three economies - inland agriculture, coastal tourism and a manufacturing and social base in Geelong.

Barwon South West is comprised of Greater Geelong, Queenscliffe, Surf Coast, Colac Otway, Corangamite, Moyne, Warrnambool, Southern Grampians and Glenelg.

The main industries are manufacturing, retail trade, health care, construction, education and training, agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Manufacturing, health and retail trade are currently the largest employing industries, although the economy has significant opportunities for growth in new energy, advanced manufacturing and food security industries.

With rich agricultural land and UNESCO listed Aboriginal cultural sites, our economy has strengths and opportunities in advanced manufacturing, high-value agriculture, sustainable and cultural tourism, green hydrogen, renewable energy, health and community services and innovative education, training and co-working spaces.

Achieving shared objectives in growing regional prosperity such as growing employment, tackling disadvantage, addressing population ageing and building digital and physical infrastructure, requires an integrated approach between the three levels of government and across government portfolios, business, individuals and community groups.

Gippsland’s health sector is diverse with highly respected training and research facilities in place as well as a considerable health multi-layered infrastructure including 7 hospitals and a wide range of smaller organisations such as general practice or specialist clinics.

The Gippsland health system is staffed by an exceptional range of highly skilled health professionals and is the largest industry sector in terms of number of people employed. The 2016 Census recorded 13.9% of total working residents are employed in the ‘Health Care and Social Assistance’, which offers great investment and trade opportunities.

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).