Victorian Resources Online - Glenelg-Hopkins Region

Regional Profile

The Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (external link) region is one of Victoria’s most vital agricultural regions. It has an abundance of available arable land, secure surface water storage’s, large reserves of underground water, marginal forestry resources and a broad agriculture production base. The region offers specialist agricultural education and research facilities and has a world class shipping port located at Portland. Glenelg-Hopkins is strategically located with excellent road access to both Melbourne and Adelaide (GHCMA, 2000).

	The primary industries sector of the economy is dominated by agriculture, producing about $700 m worth each year. Production consists of extensive grazing industries, inclduing sheep, beef and dairy cattle. Broadacre cropping also makes a significant contribution to agricultural production. Forestry is a also a significant enterprise within the primary industries sector of the local economy.
	The region is well serviced with quality physical, economic and social infrastructure (Glenelg CaLPB, 1997). There are major road freight routes in the region, connecting Melbourne with Adelaide. The regional centres of Hamilton, Warrnambool and Portland are all are all connected by sealed roads with lines marked and high standard shoulders. Rail freight infrastructure includes two lines cutting through the region, a total of seven Graincorp on-site grain storage facilities and one off-site storage facility. Electricity, natural gas and rural and urban water infrastructure is located in this region. website.
	The approximate population the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Region is 98,000. Major population centres include Warrnambool, with over 26,000 people, Portland and Hamilton. Approximately 51,000 (52%) of the regional population dwell in city areas, while the remainder are rural dwellers. Population growth is steady and densities are sparse in all local government areas, except the City of Warrnambool, where the density is almost 230 people per square kilometre. Further information on the population in the Glenelg-Hopkins Region is available on the "Know your Area" section of the DSE website (external link).
	Local government councils whose boundaries overlap into the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Region include the Shire of Glenelg, Shire of Southern Grampians, Rural City of Ararat, Shire of Pyrenees, Shire of Moyne, City of Warrnambool, Shire of Corangamite, City of Ballarat and the Shire of West Wimmera

References:

Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (GHCMA) (2000). Regional Management Plan 2000-2001, GHCMA, Hamilton.

Glenelg Regional Catchment and Land Protection Board (1997). Regional Catchment Strategy, Glenelg CaLPB, Hamilton.

Related Links

The Regional Matters - Atlas of Regional Victoria website (external link) highlights issues related to the impact of change on
regional areas. It includes information on: population, jobs and industry, housing, road and rail transport, education etc.

The "Know Your Area" section of the DSE website (external link) provides a range of data about people (e.g. population, housing, employment) for a number of areas of Victoria (including Local Government Areas, towns, statistical divisions).