Greater Shepparton moves to attract sustainable businesses
Greater Shepparton Council is using an area adjacent to Goulburn Valley Water’s Wastewater Management Facility to attract investment for sustainable business development.
Council Economic Development, Manager Geraldine Christou, said Council had been working closely with Goulburn Valley Water (GVW) to capitalise on the water authority’s established buffer around its Wastewater Management Facility.
“Five resource-recovery businesses are currently included in the precinct and, since winning a 2010 United Nations Association of Australia Word Environment Day award, we’ve had an increased number of inquiries from industries keen to tap in to, and build on, the precinct’s resource re-use opportunities.” she said.
Businesses currently operating in the precinct include:
- GVW – reuses treated water for pasture and wood lot irrigation
- Diamond Energy – converts methane gas in to electricity
- Knetic – produces bio-energy
- Veolia – a prescribed liquid waste management facility
- Western Composting Technology – converts green waste in to compost soil conditioner.
“The existing buffer around GVW’s waste water facility appealed to resource recovery businesses that needed to minimise the social and environmental effects on surrounding land and residents of noise, odour or dust generated by their businesses,” Ms Christou said.
“With the continued interest from businesses wishing to locate within the precinct, we recognised that it was important to develop a strategic approach to developing the area,” she said.
“We have engaged a consultant who has identified opportunities, constraints and options for the precinct and will detail the best way for the precinct to be formally developed and marketed.
“The consultant has considered infrastructure as well as environmental, developmental and regulatory aspects of any future expansion of the precinct.
“While we are still fine-tuning the details and there are some constraints around environmental and regulatory matters, none of them are insurmountable.” she said.
“We are confident that a well-planned strategic approach will provide certainty for existing businesses and prove very attractive to new businesses that can see the potential in reusing the readily available raw materials such as wastewater, bio-gas and bio-solids.
“Greater Shepparton, and in particular the proposed resource recovery precinct, is also well suited to attract solar investment due to the area’s substantial annual solar exposure and the municipality’s proximity to the Victorian gas and electricity transmission networks,” she said.
“New industry creates new jobs and generates ongoing investment. This will ensure Greater Shepparton continues to be a thriving regional centre with a bright, sustainable future.”
