Project update: December 2021

Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback on the ‘Statement of Opportunity’ document throughout October and November 2021. During the five-week engagement period we heard from community, state government, property developers, landowners, business owners and industry.

We received 45 online survey submissions and 5 emailed submissions during the engagement period. We held 2 online drop-in sessions with a mix of community members and local industrial precinct business owners or workers, as well as 8 targeted discussions with representatives from state government, developers, landowners, business owners and industry.

After analysing all feedback, we have prepared a summary to share what we heard and have also updated the Statement Of Opportunity document in response to feedback received.

Key changes included:

• The addition of a ‘Why Williamstown North’ and a ‘Why Brooklyn’ section to identify the opportunity that exists in these key industrial precincts.
• The renaming of the ‘recycling and repurposing’ sector to the ‘circular economy’ sector to better reflect Council's aim to attract businesses at the end of the recycling process, that use recycled inputs to create new products, that require more technical employment and that generate less offsite impacts.

What's next?

We will also use feedback to inform the review of the Industrial Land Management Strategy 2008 and the Economic Development Strategy 2015-2020.

We are committed to working with existing and new industries to diversify employment offerings and ensure industries have a positive impact on our city and the local economy.

About Reimagining our Industrial Areas

Hobsons Bay’s local economy is on the cusp of an exciting new chapter.

Hobsons Bay has an opportunity to take advantage of the shift towards a more ‘knowledge-based’ economy with industry sectors that employ specialist skills and innovation.

Globalisation, technological advancements, and climate change, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have significantly transformed Melbourne’s economy.

One third of Hobsons Bay is industrial land, majority of which has been declared as state significant providing 50 per cent of local jobs. For residents, transforming our economy to be more resilient and diverse means more job opportunities closer to home and cleaner and greener industries.

Our future objectives

Our local economy is on the cusp of an exciting new chapter.

Our traditional manufacturing industries are transforming and we need to ensure that this transformation meets the needs of our city and community.

We believe the following objectives can guide change in our industrial areas in a way that will create a more sustainable and resilient economy.

What are the potential future industries?

Through research and consultation with industries and businesses, we’ve identified four industry sectors which are likely to be attracted to our industrial precincts and align with our future objectives.

Click on the tiles below to find out more about each industry.

Help to reimagine our industrial areas

Your feedback is critical to helping update our local policies which will enable transformation in our industrial areas. To get involved, you can...

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