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Developing a new plan for Victoria - Plan Victoria

10 September 2024

Victorian Government - Department of Transport and Planning
Developing a new plan for Victoria - Plan Victoria

The Committee for Greater Shepparton (C4GS) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Plan Victoria.


About the Committee for Greater Shepparton

C4GS is an apolitical, member funded not-for-profit organisation that represents almost 120 businesses, Government agencies and not-for-profit organisations from across the local government areas of Greater Shepparton, Moira and Campaspe.


Our members represent all aspects of our local economy and community. They include primary production, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, construction and export supply chains, their support industries as well as regional health, education, waste and service providers. As one of Australia’s most culturally diverse communities we are proud to count first nations and multicultural businesses and organisations in our membership.


C4GS is committed to providing a constructive and informed voice for the region that reflects our aspirations for our community and our regional economy.


Developing the Plan for Victoria

C4GS representatives have welcomed the opportunity to participate in several consultation sessions in Melbourne that have informed our understanding of the Plan and has assisted us to prepare our submission.


In May 2024, C4GS brought together more than 70 CEOs and leaders from across its membership for a Policy Tune-up session – an opportunity to refresh and revise our collective priorities and needs. The outcomes from the day, and subsequent engagements are detailed in the attached report.


The report contains valuable contributions for each of the five pillars that are guiding the development of the Plan for Victoria, including

  • Affordable housing and choice

  • Equity and jobs

  • Sustainable environment and climate action

  • Thriving and liveable suburbs and towns

  • Self determination and caring for country.


General recommendations

In addition to the specific matters addressed in the attached report, there are several further matters that are especially relevant to the development of a Plan for Victoria.


  1. Inner and outer regional locations face different priorities and pressures

C4GS recommends recognising inner and outer regional Victoria in the design of Plan Victoria. Inner regional centres are located up to 150km from Melbourne – and according to the RBA are considered commutable. According to this definition inner regional includes Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Latrobe.


150km arc from Melbourne
150km arc from Melbourne

In contrast outer regional centres like Shepparton that are more than 150km from Melbourne have a different mix of drivers, needs and also opportunities that impact all five pillars. For example, the increased reliance on rental markets to attract and retain workforce, the need for locally delivered education and training opportunities, the importance of local amenity, health services, intra-region transport and local employment. It also means activity centres are less likely to be focused around a train station and more likely to be around a key employer or service provider such as GV Health. These drivers are explored in more detail in the attached report.


  1. Plan Victoria is an opportunity to align multiple plans

During the Developing A New Plan For Victoria Industry Event (25 June 2024), presenters reinforced the ‘new way of planning’ that is community led.


Since this session, C4GS (on behalf of and in partnership with members) has responded to a range of government consultations including:

  • Planning our basin future together (Murray Darling Basin)

  • VicGrid Community Benefits Plan

  • Victorian Freight Plan - update

  • Apprenticeships incentives review (Federal)

  • Review of Regional Migration settings (Federal)

  • Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan (Federal)

  • Victorian Parliament, Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee Inquiry into securing the Victorian food supply

  • Victorian Parliament Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee Inquiry into Climate Resilience

  • Victorian Parliament Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into the state education system in Victoria


Greater Shepparton is the only location where everyone of these matters intersect.

Many of these consultation programs will inform decisions that involve significant public funding and planning for major public infrastructure. Ideally there will be opportunity to optimise the combination of plans and investments – and minimise opportunities lost through suboptimal coordination, communication – and consultation fatigue.


Of note is the opportunity to align the retraction of the irrigation network that may be required under the Murray Darling Basin Plan with the release of land for housing and for energy generation, storage and transmission. At the same time the investment in more intensive and productive primary production signals the need for new skills and workforce.


C4GS recommends aligning these many significant pieces of work to enable a place-based community led planning process.


  1. Plan Vic underestimates the regions

C4GS is of the view that the current approach to developing Plan Victoria underestimates the potential for Greater Shepparton. We argue there is scope to maintain and even grow the proportion of the Victorian population living, working and investing in the regions – and that this outcome is good for Melbourne, for the regions and for the state.


  • Greater Shepparton’s manufacturing generates more than $5.5 billion in revenue each year and $3.2 billion is food and grocery manufacturing. The sector includes world leading companies and iconic brands like SPC, Bega, Unilever, Continental, Noumi, Milk Lab, Campbell’s Soups, Pental, White King, Huggies, Furphy, Flavorite, Saputo, and Kagome. These businesses dominate Australian supermarket staples.

  • Energy reliability (gas and electricity) is the most common problem referenced by local manufacturers which means solving local energy challenges through local generation, distribution and storage can not only achieve net zero targets, but also improve industry productivity and help secure these businesses in Victoria.

  • Greater Shepparton’s primary production (agriculture) sector continues to transform with almost $1 billion of private sector investment underway to take advantage of the region’s location on the freight network, proximity to major domestic and export markets, local workforce as well as its climate, and water. The investment includes

    • more than 10 MCGs of hi-tech glasshouses,

    • more than 50 intensive dairy barns with the improved cow welfare reflected in the more than 30% increase in milk production,

    • high value irrigated agriculture, and

  • More and more east coast horticulture funnelled through Shepparton’s high tech packing and warehouse facilities and distributed to domestic retail centres and export markets. This trend is reducing seasonality with one facility forecast to move almost 100 b-doubles of packed fruit 52 weeks of the year.

  • Greater Shepparton has welcomed more than 700 professionals to the city since 2021 and continues to welcome on average 20 new professionals each month. Around half are employed in the health sector, with the balance employed in more than 100 different local businesses from local legal and accounting firms to chemical engineers and food scientists.


With greater locally/community led planning, Plan Victoria has the potential to support regional centres like Greater Shepparton to realise their potential and in doing so establish regional engine rooms that bolster the Victorian economy and provide great places to live, work and invest.


Conclusion

C4GS welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission and our accompanying report to inform the next stages of Plan Victoria.


Our report addresses a range of matters that are relevant to the specific pillars that underpin Plan Victoria


This submission highlights three matters that are relevant to the overall design and intent of Plan Victoria –

  • the different drivers for inner and outer regional areas,

  • the opportunity to align multiple state and federal plans (and funding sources) and

  • the underestimation of (lack of ambition for) the regions.


C4GS is of the view that allowing locally based community led planning within the framework of Plan Victoria can address these concerns – and achieve practical, sustainable outcomes for the regions and for the state as a whole.


We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our submission in further detail.



Office:

144 Welsford Street,

Shepparton 3630

Mail:

PO Box 603

Shepparton 3632

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country and recognise their continuing connection to the land, water, air and sky; culture and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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