North Central Victoria

North Central Victoria is a rural region in the Australian state of Victoria. The region lies to the south of the Victorian/New South Wales border as defined by the Murray River, to the southwest of the Hume region, to the west of the Great Dividing Range contained within the Central Highlands and Victorian Alps, to the north of Greater Melbourne, to the northeast of the Wimmera, and to the east of the Mallee region.

North Central Victoria
Originally a Masonic Hall, now the Capital Theatre in Bendigo.
An aerial view of Seymour showing Goulburn River to the left.
North Central The location of Bendigo, the major city in the North Central region
Coordinates	36°45′S 144°16′E / 36.750°S 144.267°E / -36.750; 144.267
Population	249,660 (2016 census)^[Note 1]
• Density	5.33895/km^2 (13.8278/sq mi)
Area	46,762 km^2 (18,054.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	150 km (93 mi) NW of Melbourne
LGA(s)	(by population) Greater Bendigo Macedon Ranges Campaspe Mount Alexander Central Goldfields Gannawarra Loddon Buloke
State electorate(s)	Bendigo East Bendigo West Macedon Ripon Murray Plains
Federal division(s)	Bendigo Mallee (part) McEwen (part) Murray (part) Wannon (part)
Localities around North Central: Mallee New South Wales Hume Mallee North Central Central Highlands Wimmera Greater Melbourne Central Highlands

As at the 2016 Australian census, the North Central region had a population of 249,660, representing the aggregate population of the eight local government areas that comprise the region.

Location

Sustainability Victoria, a Victorian Government agency, defines North Central Victoria as the municipalities of Buloke, Gannawarra, Loddon, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Mount Alexander, Macedon Ranges and the City of Greater Bendigo.^[1] A climate change study by La Trobe University also includes the Shire of Hepburn within the region.^[2]

The major urban centres are Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maryborough and Rochester. Smaller localities include Kyneton, Pyramid Hill, Kerang, Donald and Creswick. In 2002 the estimated population of North Central Victoria was 200,000.^[2]

Administration

Political representation

For the purposes of Australian federal elections for the House of Representatives, the North Central region is contained within the Division of Bendigo,^[3] a southwestern portion of the Division of McEwen,^[4] the westernmost portion of the Division of Murray,^[5] the northeasternmost portion of the Division of Mallee,^[6] and the northeastern–most portion of the Division of Wannon,^[7]

For the purposes of Victorian elections for the Legislative Assembly, the North Central region is contained within the electoral districts of Bendigo East, Bendigo West, Macedon, Murray Plains and Ripon.

Local government areas

For administration purposes the region is divided into eight local government areas:

North Central region LGA populations

Local government area	Area		Population (2011 census)	Source(s)	Population (2016 census)	Source(s)
	km^2	sq mi
City of Greater Bendigo	3,048	1,177	100,617	^[8]	110,477	^[9]
Buloke Shire	8,004	3,090	6,384	^[10]	6,201	^[11]
Shire of Campaspe	1,280	490	36,365	^[12]	37,061	^[13]
Central Goldfields Shire	20,941	8,085	12,496	^[14]	12,995	^[15]
Gannawarra Shire	3,732	1,441	10,366	^[16]	10,549	^[17]
Shire of Loddon	6,694	2,585	7,459	^[18]	7,516	^[19]
Shire of Macedon Ranges	1,534	592	48,160	^[20]	46,100	^[21]
Shire of Mount Alexander	1,529	590	17,591	^[22]	18,761	^[23]
Totals	46,762	18,055	239,438		249,660

Environmental protection

The North Central region contains the Greater Bendigo National Park, Gunbower National Park, Heathcote-Graytown National Park, and the Terrick Terrick National Park.

Climate

The climate is moderate with wet winters and warm, dry summers. Annual rainfall ranges from 350 millimetres (14 in) near Swan Hill in the north, to over 1,200 millimetres (47 in) in the far southeast.

Temperatures are warm in summer, typically ranging from a maximum of 31 °C (88 °F) to a minimum of 14 °C (57 °F) in Kerang in the northwest and from 27 °C (81 °F) to 11 °C (52 °F) in the south. Winters are cool with minimum temperatures of 2–4 °C (36–39 °F) across the region.^[24]

Natural resources

Natural resource management is administered by the North Central Catchment Management Authority covering 30,000 kilometres (19,000 mi) bounded by the Great Dividing Range, the Mount Carmel Ranges to the east and the New South Wales border to the north.^[25] This includes the management of rural water allocations and environmental protection for the Avon-Richardson, Avoca, Campaspe and Loddon rivers.^[26]

Regional water consumption for irrigation, stock and domestic use greatly exceeds local supply. Irrigation consumes an average 1.4 gigalitres (310×10^⁶ imp gal; 370×10^⁶ US gal) per annum, while domestic use consumes around 40,000 megalitres (8,800,000×10^³ imp gal; 11,000,000×10^³ US gal) per annum.^[24] More than 75% of regional water needs are met from water imports from the Goulburn Valley and upper Murray River catchments to the north and west.^[26]

An extensive network of natural lakes includes Lake Buloke (the terminus for the Avon-Richardson River), Lake Batyo Catyo near the town of Donald, and a northern network comprising Lakes Boort, Merna, Kangaroo, Charm, Lalbert and Boga.^[24] Groundwater beneath this northern lakes network supplies approximately 80% of Australia's mineral springs, supplying the bulk of domestically produced mineral water and providing substantial local employment.^[24]

Land use

The predominant land use is agriculture, including sheep and cattle grazing and the production of cereals, grains and legumes. The gross value of agricultural output exceeds $0.8 billion a year.^[24] Forestry is also a major employer in the area surrounding the former gold rush towns of Creswick and Daylesford,^[27] with a substantial output of firewood, furniture timber and Eucalyptus oil.^[24]

Approximately 13% of the North Central catchment is public land, comprising flora reserves and state and national parks.^[27]

Notes

1. Population figure is the combined population of all LGAs in the region

References

1. "North Central Victoria". Sustainability Victoria. August 2006. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
2. "The Energy Footprint for North Central Victoria: An Initial Step Toward Addressing Climate Change" (PDF). University of LaTrobe. 2002. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
3. "Profile of the electoral division of Bendigo (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
4. "Profile of the electoral division of McEwen (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
5. "Profile of the electoral division of Murray (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
6. "Profile of the electoral division of Mallee (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
7. "Profile of the electoral division of Wannon (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
8. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Greater Bendigo (C) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
9. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Greater Bendigo (C) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
10. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Buloke (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
11. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Buloke (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Campaspe (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Campaspe (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Central Goldfields (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Central Goldfields (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
16. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Gannawarra (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
17. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Gannawarra (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Loddon (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
19. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Loddon (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
20. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Macedon Ranges (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
21. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Macedon Ranges (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
22. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Mount Alexander (S) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2014.  
23. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "2016 Community Profiles: Mount Alexander (S) (Local Government Area)". 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 3 April 2018.  
24. "North Central Regional Catchment Strategy 2003-2007". North Central Catchment Management Authority. 2003. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
25. "Welcome to the North Central Catchment Management Authority". North Central Catchment Management Authority. December 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
26. "Natural Resource Management Assets: Water". North Central Catchment Management Authority. December 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
27. "North Central Land Use". Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. November 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2008.