Regional snapshot
Melbourne’s North comprises the metropolitan LGAs of Banyule, Darebin, Moreland and Yarra, and the semi-rural LGAs of Hume, Nillumbik and Whittlesea.
- population is 883,000 (22% of the population of metropolitan Melbourne), living in around 287,000 households
- over 30% of the population was born overseas
- the region covers an area of just over 1560 sq km
- largest employing industry sectors are manufacturing (59,328), health care and social assistance (49,533), and retail trade (38,489)
- there are almost 28,400 employing businesses in Melbourne’s North and a vast majority of these are small businesses with less than ten employees
- of the jobs on offer in the region, 64% are held by residents and 36% by workers from other regions
- labour force participation rate is 55.4% and unemployment is 7.1%
- varying levels of prosperity and disadvantage across the region (average annual incomes of $33,000 in Yarra, compared with $19,700 in Hume), resulting in LGAs with the third highest and fourth lowest average wages and salaries in Melbourne
- Major issues for the region are:
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- planning for unprecedented population growth, particularly in Hume and Whittlesea
- improving infrastructure, including roads and public transport
- increasing the skills capacity of the region
- growing regional employment and business capacity
- improving economic, social and health outcomes for disadvantaged groups.
