Mitchell Shire is Victoria’s fastest growing municipality and our population is expected to increase from around 52,000 today to 270,000 in the next 25-30 years.
We are located in the heart of Victoria as the first shire north of Melbourne on the Hume Freeway and the Melbourne-Sydney rail line.
The southernmost tip of the shire falls within Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary and is less than 30 minutes from Melbourne Airport.
At 2864sq km in area, Mitchell has five major towns – Seymour, Broadford, Kilmore, Wallan and Beveridge – and numerous smaller townships and localities spread throughout our diverse landscapes.
The Great Dividing Range crosses the shire creating three sub-climates which provides choice for our new residents and businesses – the south is similar to Melbourne, the centre, on the Range, is cooler, and the north in the Goulburn Valley has a Mediterranean climate.
Mitchell Shire is blessed with many natural assets which includes wild sections of Victoria’s largest river, the mighty Goulburn River, the Tallarook Ranges, the heritage-listed Trawool Valley, bushland reserves and parks, including the historic Australian Light Horse Memorial Park and Kilmore’s Monument Hill; and, amazing landscapes like Tooborac’s granite hills.
Cyclists, walkers and horse riders join Victoria’s longest rail trail, the ‘Great Victorian Rail Trail’, at Tallarook.
Our community is resilient and strong with a rich history of indigenous (the traditional owners are the Taungurung and Wurundjeri) peoples, Ned Kelly’s birthplace at Beveridge, Victoria’s oldest inland settled town at Kilmore, and unique military and rail heritage dating back to the 1800s.
Local returns
I was born and raised in Seymour and, after pursuing a career in Melbourne, chose to return with my husband to raise our family here in Mitchell for its fantastic rural lifestyle within an easy commute to Melbourne.
Community service has been an important part of my life, both in my employment and as a volunteer.
I see my role as a councillor as an extension of this community service. I’ve been a councillor for eight years and am in my third term as Mayor.
The best part of being a councillor is working with our wonderful community to improve our quality of life, now and into the future.
Looking ahead
We’re working hard to create healthy, connected and sustainable communities for people who wish to settle in a region that offers a mix of urban and rural living.
Together with our community and the State and Federal Governments, we are focussed on expanding the infrastructure in our towns and attracting new employment opportunities.
We boast a diverse economy
Our largest local employment sector is Public Administration and Safety, which includes Defence at Puckapunyal. The next most significant sectors are health care and social assistance, construction, and education.
The construction sector holds enormous potential for growth and additional job opportunities.
Mitchell Shire has a range of mainstay and niche agricultural producers. In particular, we boast a strong and growing network of top-quality food and beverage producers.
Another growth industry for Mitchell is the shire’s tourism sector. The sector is capitalising on our amazing landscapes and Victoria’s largest river, our friendly people, and our range of authentic experiences. Our largest single event is the innovative Seymour Alternative Farming Expo and we also stage regular events at the Seymour and Kilmore racecourses and the State Motorcycle Complex, Broadford.
Since Melbourne came out of COVID-19 restrictions, more and more people are taking the time to escape the city and explore regional areas. We have recently launched ‘Discover Mitchell’ on Facebook and Instagram and local tourism businesses are booming.
Community vision
I’m truly honoured to lead our community over the next year. We will begin to work with our community to create a Community Vision.
Following on from these conversations, we will consult with local community groups, all tiers of government and key organisations to deliver the vision.
We have fantastic staff and an eager, newly elected Council who, I’m sure, will continue to work together with our community to meet the challenges ahead of us.
