The Victorian Government has awarded a $150,000 study grant to Victoria University (VU) to plan a ‘logistics city’ in Melbourne’s
The Victorian Government has awarded a $150,000 study grant to Victoria University (VU) to plan a ‘logistics city’ in Melbourne’s west.
The feasibility study, led by Dr Pieter Nagel, the Director of VU’s Institute for Logistics and Supply Chain Management (ILSCM), will help the Victorian Government plan future industrial zones and manufacturing hubs.
Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Carter has welcomed support for the Institute’s logistics city concept, which he says presents a major economic opportunity for the region.
“Melbourne’s west has a considerable wealth of logistics related infrastructure. A significant percentage of the overall Australian economic activity associated with sea and airports occurs in the region,” he says.
“If a logistics city is developed in Melbourne’s west, it will lead to high-tech business and job development and there will be real potential for logistics to make a difference locally.
Carter says logistics cities have been the driver of thousands of jobs overseas.
“So a logistics city, based in the west, could be an incubator for local job growth – which would improve people’s economic and social opportunities,” he says.
“This is particularly important for Melbourne’s west, as current projections indicate the outer west will have more than 25 percent of metropolitan Melbourne’s population growth over the next 25 years.
“The logistics profession is not just about trucks – it’s about the global trade, the supply chain, and significant technology innovations, good communication and management expertise.
“Victoria University is ensuring that all its logistics graduates have all the appropriate modern skills that this industry is looking for.”