AFTER decades in the making, Greater Shepparton’s City Council’s GV Link Project has been given the green light thanks to a $8.5M investment by the Australian Government to deliver a $22.9M freight precinct in Mooroopna.
The funding, supported by $14.4M already committed to by Council, will help deliver critical enabling works including road connections in the freight precinct at 250 Toolamba Road, Mooroopna.
The development of industrial land at GV Link has been a long-held strategic goal of Council and is highlighted as a key community and economic directive in both the 2021-2025 Council Plan and the Shepparton Mooroopna 2050 Regional Growth Plan.
“The GV Link Project has been over a decade in the making and it the result of persistence in making this ambitious project a reality,” Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali said.
“Bringing this project to fruition is the result of many meetings, partnerships and active lobbying. It will be a game changer for the region, encouraging large scale commercial investment while boosting jobs in the region over the next two decades.”
“GV Link will create hundreds of construction and ongoing jobs, and millions of dollars in economic benefit for the region through employment and economic output. We thank the Victorian Government for its ongoing support of the Council and GV Link, and the Australian Government for its support of this critically important economic project.”
The Hon Catherine King, the Federal Member for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, thanked Greater Shepparton for their advocacy. “Our government is proud to partner with them to improve the productivity and resilience of freight for the broader region,” she said.
“The Goulburn Valley is a powerhouse of agriculture and innovation, and this freight and logistics precinct will capitalise on its location and its connection to national and interstate transport links.”
Cr Sali has expressed strong support for the project and said that investment from big business will not only create local jobs but also create opportunities for local entrepreneurs and small businesses as well.
“The creation of new industrial land will facilitate the expansion and growth of existing businesses and the large sites will accommodate investment from local, national and international investors,” he said. Works on the project are expected to begin in early 2025.
