Future skills and energy settings key to unlock our region's full potential

The Greater Shepparton region is primed for success with a $9.9 billion Goulburn Murray economy, 21.9 per cent growth since 2020, unemployment at just 2.8 per cent and a manufacturing sector growing at more than double the state average.

But sustaining that growth and unlocking the region’s full potential as a food, freight and manufacturing powerhouse will depend on the decisions and investments made today to meet our rapidly evolving skills, workforce and energy needs.

This was the challenge delivered to 170 people gathered in Shepparton for Committee for Greater Shepparton’s major forum, Unlocking Energy for Australia’s Foodbowl on Tuesday 26 May that brought together leaders from government, industry, education, freight, manufacturing and energy.

C4GS Chair and major sponsor RDA Hume introduced the day.  Rob Tanti RDA Hume committee member and Chief People Officer, Opal said the event was a conversation about what kind of region we want to be over the next decade and beyond, what needs to change to support that ambition, and how we make sure regional people and businesses are part of the solution.

C4GS CEO Linda Nieuwenhuizen outlined the breadth and scale of local industry, the appetite for industry imbedded training pathways that can fill existing gaps, and highlighted the energy levers - generation, storage, transmission and distribution - and their alignment with the region’s energy needs.

Around 85% of Australian exports go to countries that have set net zero emissions pledges, with a long list of local manufacturing, businesses and industries in the Goulburn Valley have inhouse targets that are at least as ambitious as Victorian and Commonwealth targets.

“Our challenge is not whether but how we can ensure Goulburn Valley sites capture the benefits of new energy sources and technology to address fundamental challenges of supply, quality and cost alongside delivering net zero ambitions and obligations,” said Linda.

In his presentation on the Size of the prize, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions Executive Director Jeremy Levine highlighted the scale and significance of the wider Goulburn Murray economy, now worth $9.9 billion and growing 21.9 per cent between 2020 and 2024, while manufacturing growth of 1.5 per cent has outpaced the state average of 0.7 per cent.

His presentation reinforced that the region already has the industrial base, freight position and food manufacturing capability to grow further, but that workforce pressures, limited training pathways and constrained energy systems remain real barriers to the next phase of growth.

The first panel, Imagining Gas and Electricity Networks in 2035, heard from Bea Cleave of CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy, Andrea Gaffney of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group and Geoff Caine of VicGrid.

Their session explored the scale of change underway across electricity transmission, distribution and gas networks, and the need for reliable, affordable and fit-for-purpose energy systems that can support regional industry growth.

The Beyond Networks panel turned the conversation from future planning to practical solutions in development and being deployed in the market.

Dominic Zaal of CSIRO described the Renewable Heat Industrial Decarbonisation program, including its work with almost 70 manufacturers nationally with more than a dozen C4GS members and friends, highlighting the role electric thermal energy storage (graphite batteries) can play in displacing gas use at food manufacturing sites and soaking up excess energy supplies when grid demand is low.

Adam Ryan of Surge Energy shared examples already operating in Gippsland and the King Valley that are helping dairy producers move from single-phase to three-phase supply without major network upgrade costs, while Linden Howells of Complete Power Partners described the battery systems they are manufacturing in Shepparton and exporting to mining and other remote sites across Australia and Oceania, that are improving reliability and supply while reducing diesel use by as much as 80%.

David Downie outlined Green Island Power’s hydrogen concept, which proposes producing hydrogen from large‑scale local wind and solar, then using that hydrogen for long term storage to firm electricity supply and deliver lower cost reliable, low‑emissions energy particularly to large users and particularly regional towns and industrial users.

What emerged was a clear picture of solutions that are available now, not years away, and the potential for further solutions to emerge through collaboration and conversations.

The Future of Freight panel examined the pathways available to decarbonise one of the region’s greatest competitive strengths.

Gerard Michel led a discussion with Brad May of PACCAR Australia, Vaughan Bradshaw of Toyota Australia, Lachlan McDonald of Volvo Group and Ian Mond of Freight Victoria on the likely mix of technologies and fuels needed across light vehicles, heavy vehicles and long-haul freight.

The discussion confirmed Australia’s freight task is already highly efficient by world standards, but that there is no single replacement for diesel, particularly for long-haul freight. Volvo, PACCAR and Toyota all pointed to a mix of battery electric, hydrogen and other alternative fuel pathways depending on the application, while Ian Mond outlined the policy and investment challenges of matching future vehicles with the right road design, charging, refuelling and enabling infrastructure.

The session Beyond Courses featuring Professor Daswin de Silva of La Trobe University and Damian Crawley of NVITAFE, focused on the role education and training providers can play beyond traditional course delivery.

Their presentations highlighted how rapid technology change across manufacturing, freight, energy and agriculture will require new skills, faster training responses and much closer collaboration between industry, TAFE and universities to design practical solutions for regional businesses.

La Trobe’s commitment to AI enablement is also an opportunity for collaborations to solve network and site challenges using digital twins and similar AI technologies.

The evening panel - Ones We Prepared Earlier - showcased existing local examples.

Harvard Gong outlined Mars Petcare Australia’s progress to turn its Wodonga factory into Australia’s first large‑scale steam‑based manufacturing site to run on a 100 per cent renewable energy.

The site is combining a solar thermal plant, with electric thermal energy storage that uses low‑cost off‑peak renewable electricity to generate and store heat for steam production, renewable electricity agreements and renewable gas certificates from Hydrogen Park Murray Valley to achieve 90 per cent displacement of its current gas use, a cut of up to 4,000 tonnes of emissions a year, and a pathway to being fully powered by renewables within the next two years.

With Mars hosting several site visits by C4GS members over the past year, the discussion recognised the generous knowledge sharing by Mars, the importance of collaboration and the role major industrial sites can play in testing and informing the next generation of energy solutions, including the renewable heat and thermal battery opportunities.

Complete Power Partners spoke to the advantages of starting and growing a business in Shepparton, from mentoring by local business leaders to the practical advantages such as more competitive land prices for a start-up manufacturer.

Vaughan Bradshaw brought a broader transport perspective, outlining the future skills required in his Shepparton dealership and reflected on his commercial aviation career to outline the challenges faced by the aviation sector where hydrogen and batteries are not viable solutions.

Stephen Gurkin provided a practical example of how quickly the heavy equipment market is changing, noting that LiuGong’s production sites in China have shifted from producing three conventional machines for every one electric machine to a one-for-one mix as global demand rises.

He said that advances in battery life, charging and machine performance are steadily addressing earlier constraints, strengthening the case for electric plant and equipment in more applications.

The event session also highlighted the growing role of new machinery, new fuels and new business models across regional industry.

Delegates were able to inspect a Volvo electric prime mover, a Toyota hydrogen vehicle and a LiuGong electric earthmover, helping bring the day’s discussions about future freight, industrial change and energy transition into the real world.

With all of the equipment sourced from their local representatives CMV, McIntosh Distribution and Toyota Shepparton.

The event concluded with futurist Stephen Yarwood, who challenged the audience to imagine a 2050 regional economy increasingly shaped by AI-enabled systems, robotics, automation and new technology across agriculture, freight and manufacturing.

Committee for Greater Shepparton thanks all presenters, panellists and companies who contributed their time, expertise and equipment across a program also thanks major sponsor RDA Hume, along with Workforce Australia, Greater Shepparton City Council and AusIndustry for their support.

Committee for Greater Shepparton thanks the more than 170 members and non-members who attended and contributed to the discussion. Their strong engagement reflected a growing commitment to the future of the region and the potential that can be unlocked if Greater Shepparton secures the right energy, workforce and education settings for the decades ahead.