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This article was published on Tuesday, 24 June, 2025. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Council adopts forward-thinking Economic Development Strategy 2025–2030

In Summary

Council has adopted the Economic Development Strategy 2025–2030, setting a clear vision to guide growth, investment and local prosperity over the next five years.
The Strategy unifies economic development, visitor economy and major events into one forward-thinking framework, focused on population support, infrastructure, business development and regional promotion.
Extensive community and stakeholder engagement shaped the final Strategy, with key updates including stronger emphasis on water security, agriculture, innovation and infrastructure advocacy.
The Strategy outlines 25 strategic directions, supported by an annually reviewed action plan to track progress and drive long-term outcomes for Greater Shepparton.

The Strategy, developed in partnership with Urban Enterprise Pty Ltd, brings together the pillars of Economic Development, Visitor Economy and Major Events into one overarching strategic framework. It will support Council and its partners to deliver economic, community and employment outcomes under four key themes:

Population and Workforce Support
Regional Growth Through Infrastructure Investment
Business Development and Industry Attraction
A Leading Regional Visitor and Major Events Destination

Council undertook an extensive consultation process to inform the final Strategy, including stakeholder workshops, community engagement and a five-week public exhibition period. Feedback received through this process shaped the strategic direction and ensured the final Strategy reflects local priorities and opportunities.

Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said the new Strategy represents a major step forward in planning for the region’s long-term economic prosperity.

“This Strategy is the result of genuine collaboration with our local community, businesses and industry leaders. The feedback we received helped shape a strategy that reflects our region’s strengths and the opportunities we want to pursue,” he said.

“It sets the foundation for the next five years, helping us attract investment, support businesses, grow local jobs and position Greater Shepparton as a leading regional destination.”

Some of the key updates in the final Strategy, based on public feedback, include a greater focus on water security, agriculture and food processing, innovation and sustainability, as well as renewed emphasis on major infrastructure advocacy and visitor economy growth. The Strategy also clearly defines 25 strategic direction areas, underpinned by a separate internal action plan which will be reviewed annually to ensure progress is tracked and momentum is maintained.

The Economic Development Strategy 2025–2030 replaces the previous Economic Development, Tourism and Major Events Strategy and builds on a strong foundation of past achievements. These include transformative projects such as the Shepparton Art Museum, GV Health redevelopment, and landmark events like White Night and the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup.

Tap here for more information and to view the full Strategy.

For further information, please call Council on 5832 9700 or email council@shepparton.vic.gov.au.