Page 62 - Alex Ruscuklic - Complete Works

CITY OF GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY BENDIGO
Strategically located in the City of Greater Bendigo in central Victoria – right at the hub of rail and road networks – Bendigo is the State’s fourth largest town, with a current population approaching 100,000 and thriving. Traditionally the historic and entrepreneurial epicentre of business activity and growth, the Greater Bendigo area covers 3,000 square kilometers and is one of Victoria’s largest municipalities, with one of the largest capital works budgets of any regional Victorian Council. This, according to the City Mayor Cr David Jones, enables the district “to undertake a range of major projects” all benefitting the community.
“We have undertaken a vigorous program to not only attract new business investment and jobs but to retain support for and hopefully expand existing businesses,” he says. And he believes this is “helping Greater Bendigo to become one of the most confident, interesting and progressive cities in regional Australia.”
Based on the 2006 City of Bendigo’s REMPLAN Analysis Data Census figures, the City has achieved exceptional industrial expansion since 2001 – some quarters enjoying up to 30 per cent labour growth – with both employment and financial output featuring impressive results across most sectors. More recent statistics indicate that industry is now pumping around $8 billion into the local economy!
Already accommodating over 4,000 businesses and more than 400 manufacturers – the latter generating around 24% of the region’s annual economic output – the City is continually exploring new industry niches and opportunities. Its Manufacturing Futures and Business Development Unit strategic initiatives bear solid testimony to its genuine interest in encouraging business development and growth in the area.
To underline the crucial importance of Greater Bendigo’s multi-billion dollar manufacturing industry and the significance of this major sector to the local economy, Chair of Bendigo Manufacturing Group Neil Sammons and Greater Bendigo CEO Craig Niemann launched a Manufacturing and Mining Industries booklet in August this year. The publication provides up-to-date information aimed at existing Bendigo businesses as well as potential investors and newcomers to the area. Mr. Sammons claims local industries demonstrate a high level of expertise and diversity plus remarkable ingenuity in developing innovative technologies. Bendigo’s manufacturing strength, he maintains, emanates from its blend of small-to-medium, national and multinational enterprises operating in niche clusters together with groups of prominent manufacturers producing value-added goods for overseas markets.
BENDIGO CONSORTIUM GETS GO AHEAD AFTER INFRASTRUCTURE DUE DILIGENCE
The Bendigo Rail Manufacturing/Diversification Group – initiated by Borgers Corporation and the Austin Alliance to underpin SSR’s current expansion program – will be ideally positioned for success in this prospering rural economy, having already attracted significant support from the local State Government Minister Jacinta Allan, Minister for Regional and Rural Development, and from the Industry Capability Network. There can be no denying the substantial future fringe benefits in store for this regional community as the Consortium gains momentum and extensive manufacturing and infrastructure development takes shape.