The Client
Gippsland Forestry Hub
Challenge
The forestry sector broadly, and specifically in Gippsland, has a strong record of innovation. However, it has been typically delivered at the enterprise level. The challenge is whether the forest and wood products sector in Gippsland can innovate across the sector and between sectors.
Gippsland is uniquely well placed with respect to infrastructure – roads, rail, ports and energy in particular. However, it has specific challenges. Key gaps relate to hard infrastructure (e.g. energy and telecommunications/data) and soft infrastructure (e.g. industry and cross industry networks). Key opportunities include capitalising on Gippsland’s reasonably good road infrastructure, identifying and exploiting opportunities related to port infrastructure and improving energy and telecommunications/data performance.
Solution
The project explored innovative solutions tailored to the region’s context and delineated necessary steps to overcome barriers. Additionally, it investigated cross-sectoral opportunities for technology development, leveraging Gippsland’s unique geographic location, infrastructure, and industrial capabilities. Furthermore, a comprehensive regional infrastructure gap analysis was undertaken, evaluating existing infrastructure capacity, identifying key actors, exploring barriers to utilisation, assessing export markets, and addressing regulatory frameworks and challenges for infrastructure development. This encompassed extensive stakeholder consultation, literature review, region-specific analysis, opportunity assessment, and the synthesis of actionable recommendations to foster industry innovation and optimise infrastructure utilisation in Gippsland.
Outcomes
The project identified priorities based on addressing synthesised challenges of:
- Secure and reliable access to fibre
- Digital communication
- Electricity
- Transport infrastructure
- Knowledge and people
A priority setting process was undertaken which identified 11 focus areas and six recommendations for the Hub to consider.
Further information
Information on project can be found here.