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.

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 arts and creative industries impact us all, collectively and individually, in myriad ways.

Creative industries are an evolving mix of sectors spanning arts, culture, screen, design, publishing and advertising. They cover disciplines as diverse as game development and graphic design, fashion and filmmaking, performing arts and publishing, architecture and advertising, media and music, comedy and craft. They include activities that are commercially-driven and community based, experimental and export-intense.

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.

Regional tertiary education institutions include Deakin University, South West TAFE, The Gordon Institute of TAFE and various private providers.

Deakin University provides undergraduate and post-grad education in fields including business, law, nursing, medicine, science, technology, engineering, education, architecture and the arts.

The Gordon is one of the largest regional TAFEs in Victoria delivering a range of courses from short courses to nationally accredited training across apprenticeships, traineeships, certificates, diplomas, and advanced diplomas.

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.

The dairy sector is an industry of critical importance to the Great South Coast Region. Despite recent challenges with global milk markets, which have depressed prices and placed uncertainty over the industry, it remains a sector with strong long-term growth prospects.

Sheep and beef farming enterprises are also of significant importance to the Great South Coast region. The average value of beef production in the Great South Coast is very high, underpinned by grass- fed production and high value cattle varieties.

The sector represents a significant opportunity because of the strong demand for Australian red meat in export markets and the flow-on benefits to the food processing sector. The Hamilton Red Meat Innovation Centre also demonstrates some of the flow-on economic activity and jobs associated with the industry.

The region’s aquaculture sector has strong long-term growth potential. Growing demand for Australian high-value seafood products (such as abalone and rock lobster) and advancement in aquaculture technology both signal potential for the sub-sector to thrive in the region.

The pig and poultry industries represent a significant opportunity to grow the value of output from small land holdings through intensive, high value production.

The Barwon region’s wine industry is a driver of economic activity, and also an important part of the region’s visitor economy. The wine sector, along with the gourmet foods sector could leverage the Barwon South West’s significant tourism assets and visitation.

The existing forestry supply chain positions the region to capitalise on increasing global demand for wood fibre and to grow into a world-leading sustainable forestry hub.

There are a number of emerging crops in Australia that represent an opportunity for the region. These crops include hemp, cannabis, legumes, and poppies.

The healthcare and aged care sectors have been a major driver of employment growth across Barwon South West region, particularly in Barwon.

An example of effective collaboration in the region is the Geelong Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases (GCEID), which represents a partnership between Deakin University, Barwon Health and the CSIRO. Deakin has a prominent health program with strong links to the local industry – both in terms of research and graduate recruitment.

Furthermore, the current depth of knowledge and skills in manufacturing in the Geelong region also lends itself to the development of a medical technologies industry, parts for medical equipment manufacturing. Deakin’s medical research programs in Geelong naturally complement med-tech advanced manufacturing. However, unlike health and aged care, this is just a potential growth pocket, not a major driver of employment.

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.

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.

We are always going to generate some waste. To manage waste better, we need to change the way our communities view, create and handle the waste.

While industries create much of the waste, people in the community consume it and state and federal governments set policies that determine how it is handled. Local governments roles include the collection, sorting, processing and disposal of waste, strategic planning and community education.

The growing amount of waste modern society produces is impacting the environment worldwide. When this waste is not disposed of properly, through littering or dumping, it can have a significant impact on plants, animals and the ecosystems that sustain them.

Carbon emissions related to waste also have significant environmental impacts. The methane gas generated under anaerobic condition is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Increased use of plastics for single use items and packaging has significantly increased the amount of plastics in the oceans. If we continue to rely on disposable plastics, this trend will continue.

The Shellfish Reef Project at Portarlington is reusing waste scallop shells harvested from the Bass Strait that would otherwise end up at landfill, the region has made a significant contribution to reduction in waste and innovation in the management of the coastal zone.

A 130 metre long shellfish reef, made up of steel cages filled with rocks and waste scallop shells, was established in 2018 off the Ramblers Road foreshore in Portarlington, which was heavily impacted by erosion.

The reuse of waste scallop shells to construct the artificial reef has provided a cost efficient and environmentally friendly alternative engineering solution to preventing erosion.

Home to significant industry-driven research and education facilities and some of the world’s leading producers, Brisbane offers opportunities for investment in a wealth of new and innovative high-growth sectors including machinery and equipment manufacturing, metal product manufacturing, robotics and mineral processing technology, micro-electronics and recycling, and packaging of paper, metal and plastics products.

The Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT)is a world-class research and development precinct focused on providing the highest standard science, engineering, and innovation to the Australian mining, exploration, minerals processing, and manufacturing industries. Advanced material engineering is an emerging R&D cluster at the QCAT precinct that focuses on light metals and fibre composites, growing sectors in Queensland's developing manufacturing industry.

The Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation at the University of Queensland (UQ) is a centre of engineering excellence established to identify and facilitate innovations in economically and environmentally sustainable processes associated with the production and use of energy, water, food, and chemicals. Established in 2012, the centre is quickly becoming a magnet for talented staff and students, affirming UQ's leadership in the fields of science and engineering.

Brisbane City Council is taking real and practical action to deliver a low-carbon and climate-resilient city for current and future residents.

In 2030, under a high emissions scenario, the climate of Brisbane will be more like the current climate of Bundaberg.

The greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming are generated from electricity, gas, transport, and waste produced in our city. They are also generated by food and agriculture, goods and services, and the resources that go into packaging, clothes and building materials. Too many greenhouse gas emissions act like a blanket around the earth, causing temperatures to rise.

To reduce greenhouse emissions, we need collective action by customers and businesses, commuters and transport companies, tenants and building owners, investors and government regulators. By taking action together, we can generate health and social benefits and reduce the cost of environmental impact.

We are already investing in renewable energy, urban forests, green buildings, waste innovation and in better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Through such creative initiatives, we can deliver better health for our community together with economic, social and environmental benefits.

A strong creative economy makes our city a great place to live through the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce, creative tourism, export and trade of local culture, more enterprise, greater expression and social connection, and city pride.

With a high concentration of people, infrastructure, business and investment, cities are the engine rooms of the new global economy. The power of a city’s success lies in the ease of doing business – exchanging ideas, products and services – and the presence of opportunity.

Given access to the right conditions and opportunities, creative talent and enterprises will thrive, generating exciting and profitable new products and services that stimulate the economy and grow the city’s profile

Brisbane has rapidly emerged as an influential leader in the Asia Pacific and a highly desirable place to do business. The city’s growing global recognition was accelerated by its highly successful staging of the 2014 G20 World Leaders Summit. Capitalising on its enhanced international reputation, Brisbane is shaping itself as a vibrant hub and world leader attracting industry sectors that are globally scalable in the new world economy.

New investment helps to establish Brisbane as a global hub for competitively advantageous industries. Brisbane’s strong growth prospects can be leveraged to attract new investment to the city, even during a time when global investment trends are weak.

Specific advantages linked to Brisbane include:
 competitively positioning Brisbane within Asia as a global centre of excellence for mining and energy technologies
 a desirable location to support fly-in fly-out operations
 significant and growing capacity in innovative manufacturing, ICT, design, creative industries, biomedical, education, research, food manufacturing, clean technologies, aviation and logistics
 large and continuing infrastructure investments  a single council looking after most of the
capital city economy
 a world class air and sea port located close to the city, with capacity to accommodate new industrial developments within the precinct at Australia TradeCoast.

Brisbane is home to two main universities - The University of Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology. However, it also contains 10 campuses from six Australian universities, including Griffith University, Australian Catholic University, and CQUniversity.

Ranked in the world's top 50, The University of Queensland is one of Australia's leading research and teaching institutions.

Queensland University of Technology is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area - Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove.

Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Formally founded in 1971, Griffith opened its doors in 1975, introducing Australia's first degrees in environmental science and Asian studies.

Research institutions and organisations in Brisbane’s innovation and technology sector, covering both the life sciences and clean technology sector, include:
• Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
• Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation
• Syngenta Centre for Sugarcane Biofuel Development
• Institute for Glycomics
• Institute for Molecular Bioscience
• Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation
• Mater Research
• Queensland Brain Institute
• Baosteel-Australia Joint Research and Development Centre
• Cooperative Research Centre for Mining
• Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies
• Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI)

Supported by the city’s world-class research and education facilities, Brisbane offers food and beverage product manufacturers a talented labour pool plus access to the latest food technology and innovation research.

The food and beverage, grocery, and fresh produce manufacturing industry is worth $114 billion to the Australian economy. Brisbane is fast becoming a hub for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing in Australia.

Brisbane excels in biomedical research, medical device manufacturing and clinical trials on a global scale, and is home to a network of world-class translational research centres and state-of-the-art hospitals and precincts.

This has created a critical mass of knowledge generation driving growth in high-value specialisations such as bio-medicine, vaccine research and drug discovery, oncology, clinical trials, ageing and chronic conditions, neurosciences, hospital management and e-health and human bionics.

Brisbane is home to world leaders in vaccine research. Researchers are connected by an ecosystem of more than 60 institutes - research hospitals, precincts, laboratories and other research organisations, including five drug discovery and development institutes, which together drive new product development:

 The University of Queensland (UQ) Diamantina Institute
 UQ Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development (TetraQ)
 Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Biomedical Innovation
 UQ Centre for Clinical Research at RBWH
 QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute's Clinical trials and Biostatistics Units

Brisbane's researchers are addressing many of today's health and medical challenges including the development of new therapeutic approaches to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

The city boasts a critical mass of research centres that contribute to new product development including the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), home to more than 450 scientists working to understand the neural circuits in the brain, and how dysfunction of these circuits can lead to an array of disorders such as ageing dementia.

Griffith University's National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Disease Research is a world-class research facility focussing on chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mater Research is a recognised leader in medical research. Our bench to bedside philosophy sees us working across Mater Health’s hospitals and health services, The University of Queensland, and the world-class Translational Research Institute (TRI).

Brisbane’s innovative capabilities are grounded in competitive business, world-class research and development, a highly skilled workforce, and leading education institutions.

At the heart of Brisbane’s innovation is its human capital – the people with the skills, knowledge and entrepreneurial know-how to transform ideas into products and services that will benefit businesses and the community, not only in Australia but the world.

Queensland’s resource boom presents the single most significant opportunity for the Brisbane economy. There are currently around 177 resource companies headquartered in Brisbane. Major global players include Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Santos, Peabody Energy, Xstrata, Vale and Bechtel Mining and Metals Division. More giant global resource companies will locate key operations here if Brisbane grows as a global centre for resource industry technologies and services.

• Rio Tinto - Global energy headquarters, Australian coal headquarters and global centre for aluminium research and development
• BHP Billiton/Mitsubishi Alliance - Global coal headquarters
• Aurizon – Global headquarters
• Anglo American - Australian headquarters
• Adani Mining – Australian headquarters
• Bechtel – Global metals and minerals headquarters
• Komatsu – Australian mining headquarters
• Peabody Coal - Australian headquarters
• Sandvik Mining and Construction – Australasian headquarters
• Talisman Energy – Oceania headquarters
• Thiess – Global headquarters
• Vale – Global coal headquarters
• Xstrata Zinc – Australian headquarters