Wodonga Rural City

Wodonga Rural City Profile 2004

Wodonga is by far the largest centre within the AlpValleys study area. Wodonga has a population of 32,456 (ABS 2001) in a shire area of 433 square kilometres. This also gives the City the distinction of being the most densely populated in the north east at 75 persons per square kilometre. The projected growth rate of 1.7% average per annum is well above the Victorian average.

Wodonga is a major growth centre, which serves the whole north east region for jobs and services. Value adding is a key component of the manufacturing sector, and significant value is added to the timber, beef, dairy, fruit, vegetables, viticulture and crops of the AlpValleys region.

Manufacturing is the largest industry sector, providing 18.6% of jobs in the City. Other major sectors include:

• Retail sales 14.2%
• Government and defence 12.3%
• Health and community services 11.4%
• Education 11.2%

The local region, including Albury, has 7,000 businesses employing 50,000 people. The Wodonga workforce is approximately 17,000 people, with an unemployment rate of 3.8% (2004).

The Wodonga Saleyards have the highest throughput of cattle in Australia. Much of the AlpValleys’ beef production goes through these saleyards.

The Exhibition, Equestrian and Stud Stock Centre is the venue for most of the major and national breed society shows and sales.

Investment in the manufacturing and processing centre is strong with major projects expected to provide over 4,000 new jobs in the next five years. Recent additions included a $60 m Visy Industries box manufacturing plant, National Foods Vita Soy plant, and a $90 m Woolworths Distribution Centre. The Woolworths Distribution Centre will form the basis of a transport and logistics hub – LOGIC, further strengthening the transport and warehousing sectors.

The value of agricultural production within the Wodonga City boundaries is relatively low in the study area.

There were only 93 farms in the Rural City of Wodonga in 2001, representing 3.9% of the farms of the study area. The number of farms was 7% lower than in 1997. This trend can be expected to continue as residential and industrial developments increase.

The gross value of agricultural production in Wodonga is $ 9.1 million (ABS 2001). This is a slight increase by 3% on the GVP in 1997, which was $6.8 million.

Using the ABS standard multiplier effects for agriculture, hunting and fishing, it is estimated that the total effective contribution of the City’s limited agribusiness to the economic base of Wodonga Rural City is $23.4 million, with direct employment generated by the production of 109 persons and a total employment impact of 201.¹ These figures demonstrate the limits of using flow-on effects.

The figures indicate the extent to which expenditure in the agriculture sector can flow through the rest of the economy. For both expenditure and employment effects, the flow on effects are not necessarily captured within the local government economy. Figures used for other shires in this region could indicate flow on effects that may accumulate in Wodonga, Wangaratta, and elsewhere in Victoria, or indeed, in other states.

Rural City of Wodonga Key Figures:

Agribusinesses in Rural City of Wodonga include: