Regional Development Australia Loddon Mallee

To address worker shortages we need to expand training opportunities offered within our region, and ensure they’re aligned with industry needs. Concurrently, encouraging our young towards careers in our future industries, addressing worker housing shortages, and attracting new workers are  regional priorities.

• Loddon Mallee Housing Strategy – A document detailing actions that can be taken to address housing shortages (more information available soon).
• Mallee Skills Demand Profile, 2017 – Prepared by the Victorian Skills Commissioner, the profile estimates vocational training needs for the Mallee region.
• Mallee Skills Pulse Check, 2020 – A refresh of the 2017 report funded by the Mallee Regional Partnership and Loddon Mallee RDA.
• Loddon Campaspe Skills Demand Profile – Work currently being undertaken by the Victorian Skills Authority to understand the skills needs of the Loddon Campaspe’s industries.
• Horticultural Skills Passport – Work is currently being undertaken to investigate how the region can retain itinerant workers by offering greater recognition of their skills and experience (more information available soon).
• Regional Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Road Map – A guide for Government, education and industry to strengthen regional learning systems.
• Loddon Campaspe Health Sector Skills and Pathways Road Map –  A guide for Government, education, industry, students and parents to strengthen the regional learning systems in the Health sector.
• Childcare Funding Models in Rural areas and Creating Viable Childcare Services in Rural Areas–  With low childcare availability our rural workforce is further depleted and children are missing out on important early-years education.

New technologies and advanced manufacturing capabilities provide opportunities for the region to increase the value of local supply chains and take advantage of changing consumer preferences for safe and healthy food products.

• Agri-Food Plans – The Loddon Campaspe and Mallee Regional Partnerships are currently developing Agri-Food Plans, which will direct efforts to further grow the sector (more information available soon).
• Food Industry Supply Chain Enhancement – The Regional Partnerships and RDA have collaborated on work that identifies business opportunities to grow our agri-food sector.
• Water Availability Mapping –  A resource for potential developers, providing advice on the location, quality and cost of water resources across a large swathe of northern Victoria.
• Mallee Regional Innovation Centre (MRIC) – A priority of the Mallee Regional Partnership, MRIC was established in 2018 to support innovation in horticulture, water, energy and the environment; it’s also leading a strategy to put Australia on the global map for hydrogen technology and expertise. Access the Drivers of Horticultural Development in the Victorian Mallee.

Prior to COVID-19, tourist visitation numbers and expenditure were growing throughout the entire region. Unfortunately with consecutive years of traveller restrictions we need to rebuild the industry and improve on the natural, cultural and built attractions that draw people to our region.

• Murray River Adventure Trail – The Mallee and Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership have successfully advocated for the funding required to see Stage One of the trail constructed.
• Light State – The Mallee Regional Partnership has successfully advocated for the funding required to install world-class light installations to showcase the history, landscape and stories of the Mildura area.
• World Heritage Listing – The Loddon Mallee RDA has supported work that could culminate in the declaration of World Heritage listing for the Central Victorian Goldfields.

Industry clusters draw competitive advantage from their proximity to competitors, a skilled workforce and specialised suppliers. The Loddon Mallee  region supports two key industry clusters: the Calder Employment and Innovation Corridor, and the Murray River Corridor.

• Employment and Innovation Corridor – The Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership has prepared a Strategic Plan to deploy a Regional Employment and Innovation Corridor extending along the Calder corridor from Macedon Ranges to Castlemaine and Bendigo and onto Echuca, including the surrounding areas that economically cluster and feed into and influence the Corridor – Background Review and Directions Report.
• Developing a Cross-Border Economic Strategy – The Mallee Regional Partnership is funding work to explore the potential for developing the precinct that spans the Murray River.
• Cross Border Commissioner – The Mallee Regional Partnerships advocated for the establishment of a Cross Border Commissioner to address regulatory anomalies in border communities.

We have the opportunity to build on a growing strength in renewable energy generation, and opportunities in the emerging climate change and circular economy sectors. Underpinning growth across all sectors will be the adoption of new technologies and vastly improved digital connectivity.

• Embracing the Circular Economy – The Loddon Campaspe RP is supporting the development of waste/resource recovery/circular economy opportunities for our region Circular Opportunity Scan.
• Digital Uplift – The Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership has undertaken work to understand the cost of achieving uplift in both broadband and mobile reception across our towns. Find out more information in the 100Gig Business Case, 100Gig Prospectus and the Digital Hub Feasibility Study.  The Mallee Regional Partnership has undertaken similar work Mallee Region Digital Advancement Investment Action Plan.
• Green Hydrogen Roadmap– The Mallee Regional Partnership and Loddon Mallee RDA have collaborated in the production of a Mallee Region Hydrogen Roadmap.
• Industry 4.0 Bring on the Future – The Loddon Mallee RDA has prepared a Business Attraction Prospectus to build the Industry 4.0 and Information Technologies sector across the region.  Maturity Report and  Business Investment Prospectus
• Top 10 Climate Change Projects – The Loddon Campaspe RP is helping to identify the top ten climate change projects across the region (more information available soon).