Hume

Hume is one of the fastest growing regions in Victoria with a social and cultural fabric and heritage to match its natural beauty. This region is renowned for world-class wines, gourmet food, and is part of the 'food bowl of Australia'. The Goulburn River is important to the region for environmental, lifestyle and business, and the Strathbogie Ranges are a gateway to the famous High Country.

The region’s diversity – and new opportunities in key industries – will ensure steady economic development and jobs growth which is reflected in Hume's population growth which is projected to grow by over 23% by 2026. A large part of this population growth is projected to come from people moving from Melbourne in search of a change of lifestyle.

The Hume region is benefiting from a range of investments including:

• $6 million to build a new Belvoir Special Developmental School
• $4 million to rebuild Wodonga Ambulance station
• Transport commitments for the region are $1.4 million improvement of the Murray Valley Highway between Wodonga and Corryong
• $4 million over four years from the Country Roads and Bridges Fund to restore and upgrade road networks
• $500,000 for a Wangaratta water security feasibility study
• Share of $151 million to a MICA Single Responder Units in Wodonga, Shepparton and Wangaratta
• $200,000 for the Shepparton Court complex renovation scoping study
• $500,000 for improvements to Mooroopna Police station
• $50,000 for the Lake Bartlett Redevelopment in Tatura
• Share of $6 million to fund Community Leadership Programs.

Key town centres

Benalla, Beechworth, Bright, Corryong, Eildon, Euroa, Seymour, Shepparton, Mansfield, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Yarrawonga.

Municipalities

• Alpine Shire
• Benalla Rural City
• City of Wodonga
• Greater Shepparton
• Indigo Shire
• Mansfield Shire
• Mitchell Shire
• Moira Shire
• Murrindindi Shire
• Strathbogie Shire
• Towong Shire
• Wangaratta Rural City

Learning and education

Home to TAFE institutions, ACU, La Trobe University, Swinburne University and the University of Melbourne, Hume residents have higher education opportunities on their doorstep. There are many kindergartens, pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools with both public and private options available.

Employment and industry

Hume is extremely varied in its industry and employment make-up, with a strong concentration of agriculture in the west and the alpine, wine and gourmet food areas in the region's east making tourism a strong contributor to regional employment.

The Goulburn Valley area is one of Victoria's largest primary producers, directly producing over $1.6 billion from primary production and the manufacture of food and beverages. Traditional broad acre farming combined with viticulture, orchards, olives and aquaculture endorse the 'food bowl' label, and various large and international companies call the region home including SPC Ardmona, Uncle Toby's and the Woolworths Distribution Centre.

Fitness and fun

Recreation reserves hosting football, soccer, netball, hockey and tennis matches are prominent throughout the Hume region as well as golf courses. The high country is a haven for skiers, and Lake Hume and Lake Buffalo popular for watersports. Wodonga is home to Australia's largest regional tennis complex and cyclists couldn't ask for more with the 100s of kilometres of sealed roads passing through spectacular scenery.

Art and culture

A number of festivals are held in the Hume region offering something for everyone. The Bright Autumn Festival, Euroa's Show n Shine, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, Rutherglen Winery Walkabout, APS Head of the River in Nagambie, the Australian Superbike Championship in Winton and SheppARTon Festival are just a few to add to your calendar.

Opportunities

• Projected decreases in run-off in the Goulburn and Broken Catchments are expected to affect water supply, irrigated agriculture and the survival of wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. Already high salinity levels in some areas may increase.
• Hume includes two flagship areas identified in the Securing our Natural Future White Paper as requiring special management and protection: the Victorian Alps and the eastern end of the Mega Murray area (including sections of the Goulburn, Ovens, King and Kiewa Rivers).

Challenges

• Hume has a particularly high exposure to the impacts of climate change, with around 20 per cent of income in the Goulburn region coming from sectors that are highly sensitive to these impacts.
• Large parts of the region are highly vulnerable to increased fire risk (including national parks and forestry plantations).
• Climate change may pose longer term threats to ski-field employment.
   

Visit here for more details about Hume's outlook

The Hume Strategy for Sustainable Communities

Following are the Hume Regional Strategic plans as presented to the Victorian Government:

State of the Hume Region 2010-2012

The State of the Hume Region 2010-2012 (August 2012) progress report on implementation of the Hume Strategy for Sustainable Communities 2010-2020 (Hume Strategy) regional plan was produced jointly by the Hume Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committee, Hume Regional Management Forum (RMF) and the Hume Region Local Government Network (HRLGN).

Published two years after completion of the Hume Strategy, the report was launched at a regional leadership gathering in September 2012 attended by government, business and community leaders.

The State of the Hume Region 2010-2012 report highlights priorities, actions and results related to Hume Strategy implementation and is evidence of a regional commitment to evaluation and reporting on outcomes relating to the regional plan.

Hume Regional Growth Plan

The Hume Regional Growth Plan is one of eight regional growth plans being prepared across Victoria. It provides a broad direction for regional land use and development as well as high level planning frameworks and the means to implement the strategic land use and infrastructure directions that are set out in the Regional Strategic Plans (above).

For more details visit Hume's Regional Growth Plan page

The Spatial Analysis and Research Team within the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure have compiled census information from Victoria’s towns between 1981 and 2011 and published the content online to help form the basis for planning decisions and delivery of services. Find out more about Towns in Time here