Our Partnership has a range of priorities it is championing. Some of these have led to new initiatives in our region.
Read about some of these projects.
How Work works: Getting young people employment in our growing industries
Health Sector Skills and Pathways Road Map 2021
Healthy Loddon Campaspe initiative
Regional Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Road Map
Track and Trails …. exploring Loddon Campaspe naturally
Regional Economic Growth Strategies
Loddon Campaspe Digital Plan
How Work works: Getting young people employment in our growing industries
New research has identified ten practical actions that could help young people to find employment in the Loddon Campaspe area.
Based on interviews conducted by youth interns aged 18-24 with more than 25 major regional employers and 250 young people, “How Work works: Getting young people employment in our growing industries” found that despite coronavirus (COVID-19), over the long term, many local industries are growing and that there is a diverse range of entry level work available for young people.
Loddon Campaspe How Work Works Report, 2020 (PDF 1789.39 KB) 
An accessible version of this document is not currently available. Please email the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership if you need further information about this document.
Health Sector Skills and Pathways Road Map 2021
The health sector is a vital and expanding area of economic activity and is the largest local employer, accounting for approximately 17,300 workers across the Loddon Campaspe region.
The Road Map will enable stronger links between industry, educators and training providers, and identifies clear pathways for students and volunteers towards a qualification in areas including nursing, allied health, Aboriginal healthcare and aged care and disability. The Road Map’s recommendations are drawn from extensive engagement with students, educators, trainers, current employees and industry professionals and builds on the strengths of the region’s existing learning systems.
Loddon Campaspe Health Sector Skills and Pathways Road Map 2021 (PDF 3281.6 KB)
An accessible version of this document is not currently available. Please email the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership if you need further information about this document.
The Healthy Loddon Campaspe initiative
Improving the health of people living and working in our region has been a top priority for the Loddon Campaspe Partnership since our inception.
There are some alarming health figures for our region including that the proportion of the adult population in Loddon Campaspe reporting being obese is 24.3%. This compares with a Victorian average of 18.8%. The rate of avoidable deaths among people aged less than 75 in our region from cancer and heart disease is the highest in the state, while four of the six Loddon Campaspe Local Government Areas are in the top 20 heart attack hot spots in Victoria.
With this evidence in hand, we were excited when Government listened to our needs and, in August 2017, announced $150,000 for the development of a business case for a health improvement initiative in our region.
From this came the Healthy Loddon Campaspe (previously known as Healthy Heart of Victoria) initative. During late 2017, we brought together almost 100 people from 20 organisations for a workshop series across the region and from this we devised a regionally owned, implementation model aimed at improving health outcomes for our people.
In Budget 2018/19, the Partnership was thrilled to receive $5 million to make the Healthy Loddon Campaspe initiative a reality.
What is Healthy Loddon Campaspe?
Healthy Loddon Campaspe aims to improve the health of people in the Loddon Campaspe region – the ‘heart’ of Victoria.
Healthy Loddon Campaspe projects are designed to focus on those parts of the community that are the least supported to help encourage healthy eating and get more people, more active, more often.
The six Loddon Campaspe Local Government Areas are involved – Campaspe Shire, Central Goldfields Shire, City of Greater Bendigo, Loddon Shire, Macedon Ranges Shire and Mount Alexander Shire. There are three main components to the initiative.
The Active Living Census (ALC)
All households in the Loddon Campaspe region were invited to take part in the Active Living Census in May-June 2019 either via hard copy survey or online. Almost 25,000 responses were received.
The results from the Census provide important information about people’s health and wellbeing including participation in organised sport and informal physical activity, consumption of fruit, vegetables, water, alcohol and sugary drinks, smoking and gambling, overweight and obesity, and life satisfaction. It also includes information about barriers to healthy eating and active lifestyles, and data on what would help support communities to be more active, more often.
No other region in Australia has this type of data at this level of detail. The data will support government and community agencies, schools, sporting clubs, community groups and residents across the region to advocate for the health and wellbeing needs of our community. The ALC will also be an important tool to help ensure that investments, infrastructure, programs and services are what we need, where we need them. It will also assist organisations and the community to obtain funding to create better health outcomes and help drive ongoing positive change across the region.
- Active Living Census – Selected Findings report for the Loddon Campaspe region (PDF 7976.37 KB)
- Active Living Census 2019: Topline Report (PDF 3558.12 KB)
An accessible version of these documents are currently not available. Please email the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership if you need further information about these documents.
See the links below for the Active Living Census findings for each of the participating local government areas:
- Campaspe Shire Council
- Central Goldfields Shire Council
- City of Greater Bendigo
- Loddon Shire Council
- Macedon Ranges Shire Council
- Mount Alexander Shire Council
Activation to help encourage healthy eating and get more people, more active, more often
Healthy Loddon Campaspe is implementing place-based activations focusing on physical activity and healthy eating. Projects will continue to focus on those parts of the community that are the least supported to help encourage healthy eating and get more people, more active, more often.
Examples include:
- Upgrades to Crossenvale Park in Echuca in the Campaspe Shire, including nature playground, fitness programs and a water fountain
- Path upgrades and the introduction of a parkrun at Maryborough’s Goldfields Reservoir in Central Goldfields Shire
- Path, seating and lighting upgrades, along with the installation of outdoor fitness equipment in Kangaroo Flat and Long Gully in City of Greater Bendigo
- Installation of outdoor fitness equipment in Wedderburn and Boort in Loddon Shire
- WalKyneton – improvements to pathways and facilities along the Campaspe River Walk in Kyneton in Macedon Ranges Shire
- Path and crossing upgrades in Castlemaine in Mount Alexander Shire Council
Health Broker Workforce
A workforce of localised ‘Health Brokers’ work within the six Loddon Campaspe Local Government Areas to help build knowledge about health and wellbeing.
The Health Broker’s role is to make health everyone’s business – developing relationships between Council, local organisations and community groups to help build knowledge and influence decision making with respect to health and wellbeing.
Contact
For further information please contact us or visit the Healthy Loddon Campaspe Facebook page.
Regional Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Road Map
The Road Map seeks to act as a guide to Government, education and industry to establish the Loddon Campaspe region which has employers of choice, encourages innovation and quality manufacturing.
Regional Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Road Map 2019 (PDF 1530.61 KB)
An accessible version of this document is not currently available. Please email the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership if you need further information about this document.
Track and Trails …. exploring Loddon Campaspe naturally
At our first two Loddon Campaspe Regional Assemblies, and at numerous community engagement workshops in our region, participants provided many examples of track and trail projects in our region they would like to see built or improved.
As a response to this, the Partnership was provided funding to develop a Loddon Campaspe Tracks and Trails strategy to identify significant trails within the region which require investment and further development.
After many months work by external consultants and a project steering group consisting of Local Government Authorities and Government representation, the Loddon Campaspe Regionally Significant Trails Strategy 2018 – 2023 was finalised early in 2018.
The Strategy provides the Regional Partnership a clear direction regarding what the region’s main priorities are for trail development and has gathered the evidence required to encourage investment in these trails.
Our Vision
The Loddon Campaspe Region is a nature-trail destination of choice for walkers, runners, riders and paddlers.
Our vision is not just about developing physical trails, but also creating trail experiences for users that will capitalise on the uniqueness of our region. In so doing, we hope to build the visitor economy and engage the public with the natural environment.
The Strategy identified five nature trail projects as being the highest priority for investment and development. These trails are:
- The Daylesford to Hanging Rock Rail Trail;
- The Echuca Winery Loop – Murray River Adventure Trail;
- The Goldfields Track upgrade;
- The Gunbower National Park Trail Loops – Murray River Adventure Trail;
- The Heathcote to Murchison Trail.
The Strategy, and tracks and trails, was one of the main focuses for discussion at our 2018 Assembly.Now the Strategy has been developed, the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership will focus on implementing the recommendations and establish a regional governance body to oversee the implementation of the regional strategy.
Regional Economic Growth Strategies
The Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership joined forces with the Mallee Regional Partnership and RDA Loddon Mallee to undertake a project to update the direction for significant strategic economic development.
The project has been undertaken in stages:
- Stage One - Consolidated economic analysis presented in Technical Reports
- Stage Two - Development of Economic Growth Strategies
- Stage Three – Implementation
Economic Growth Strategies have been completed for the Mallee and Loddon Campaspe and together provide the strategic basis, rationale and direction for investment throughout the Loddon Mallee region.
Implementation is underway through the development of an Investment Prospectus and scoping of transformational large-scale projects aimed at significant private investment.
Loddon Campaspe Economic Growth Strategy (PDF 5363.58 KB)
Mallee Economic Growth Strategy (PDF 8200.42 KB)
Loddon Campaspe Economic Growth Strategy Technical Report (PDF 2069.95 KB)
Mallee Economic Growth Strategy Technical Report (PDF 1781.16 KB)
An accessible version of this document is not currently available. Please email the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership if you need further information about this document.
Loddon Campaspe Digital Plan
The Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership Digital Plan is an evidence-based, place-based analysis of the supply of and demand for digital services and skills in the region.
The Plan identifies gaps in the region’s current digital infrastructure and makes recommendations on how these gaps can be addressed.
Loddon Campaspe Digital Plan - summary brochure (PDF 1065.27 KB)
Loddon Campaspe Digital Plan - summary brochure (PPTX 17087.46 KB) 
Loddon Campaspe Digital Plan (PDF 7246.27 KB)
Loddon Campaspe Digital Plan (DOCX 32525.84 KB) 