Brimbank City Council
Whether you’re visiting for a day, a weekend or a week, or even looking to call Brimbank home, you’ll find a range of amazing experiences waiting for you.
Located between 12 and 23 kilometres west and northwest from Melbourne’s CBD, this diverse and dynamic city is best known for its cultural diversity, welcoming community, and great authentic food from across the globe at affordable prices.
Brimbank is home to national parks, an exciting array of festivals and events, an expanding food and coffee culture and a burgeoning arts community. If you scratch the surface there is also a rich history to be found.
Census figures show that 50.1% of residents in Brimbank were born overseas and around 64.3% speak a language other than English. It is experiencing significant population growth. Sunshine is emerging as one of the key hubs for redevelopment and is emerging as vibrant centre of the region.
Hobsons Bay City Council
On the northern shores of Port Phillip Bay, Hobsons Bay has over 20 kms of beaches and foreshore areas, and significant coastal wetlands, five creek systems, remnant native grasslands, and important flora and fauna habitats. Home to the suburbs of Altona, Altona Meadows, Altona North, Brooklyn, Laverton, Newport, Seabrook, Seaholme, South Kingsville, Spotswood, Williamstown and Williamstown North, Hobsons Bay is a unique part of Melbourne’s west.
Hobsons Bay is well known as an attractive tourist destination, with popular local attractions including: Scienceworks, Seaworks, the Substation, Newport Lakes, Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park, the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail, wetlands, Altona and Williamstown beaches, Williamstown Botanic Gardens and Nelson Place, Williamstown. The historic seaport of Williamstown is one of the oldest settlements in Victoria with a range of historic buildings and significant maritime heritage. Hobsons Bay is also part of the industrial heartland of Melbourne’s west and contains some of Victoria’s largest industrial enterprises.
Hobsons Bay is a culturally rich and diverse community. Around 30 per cent of residents were born overseas and they come from over 150 countries. More than 120 languages are spoken in the community, and one quarter of the population (27 per cent) speak a language other than English.
Melton City Council
The City of Melton is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Australia, offering the best in urban and rural lifestyles within a comfortable commuting distance from Melbourne.
Encompassing a total land area of 527 square kilometres, the City of Melton is a diverse and vibrant community. From Eynesbury to Caroline Springs, Diggers Rest, to Melton, the City is experiencing rapid growth that has sprung from its history as a small town renown for equestrian and farming activities.
The City of Melton is a great place to visit, with award-winning wineries, heritage attractions, a dingo sanctuary, public art, parks, picnic areas, sports grounds, and walking and cycling paths along tree lined creeks. The area is also known for horse breeding and harness racing, with a reputation as one of the premier equine municipalities in the country. The City of Melton is home to many food experiences, whatever your tastes and budget. From a cafe in a heritage homestead, lakeside dining in Caroline Springs or an old English themed pub, you will find something to suit you, and your friends and family.
Moonee Valley City Council
The City of Moonee Valley covers an area of 43km² just north of Melbourne City Centre and includes the suburbs of Ascot Vale, Flemington, Travancore and Moonee Ponds in the Ssouth, Avondale Heights, Keilor East, Airport West, Niddrie, Essendon West and Essendon Fields (Moonee Valley’s newest suburb) in the west, and Strathmore, Strathmore Heights, Essendon, Essendon North and Aberfeldie in the centre. Moonee Valley is well known for its streetscapes and historic buildings, an internationally renowned horseracing industry, active community of sporting enthusiasts, and cultural facilities and events such as the Clocktower Centre, Incinerator Gallery, festivals around food, wine, family fun and music, plus the iconic Moonee Valley Festival in Queens Park.
Maribyrnong City Council
The City of Maribyrnong has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Victoria, with 40 per cent of residents born outside Australia. Residents come from more than 135 different countries and speak more than 80 languages.
Just five kilometres west of the CBD you will find an ever-changing neighbourhood that features an incredible community of international cultures offering tasty food, a lively arts and festivals presence, quaint villages, rolling parks and gardens and exciting bars and cafés.
Wyndham City Council
Wyndham is one of the largest and fastest growing municipalities in Australia. Currently around 315,000 residents call Wyndham home, which is predicted to grow to around 505,000 by 2040.
Wyndham is large and diverse. Spanning 542 km2 on a coastal plain on the western fringe of Melbourne, Wyndham is home to a diversity of sectors: strong industrial and technology districts, major retail and dining precincts, the Werribee Park tourism precinct, and Werribee South market gardens.
There are 17 suburbs in Wyndham, the most populated being Point Cook, Werribee, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing, Truganina and Wyndham Vale.Key tourism and open space attractions include the Werribee Park Mansion, Victoria State Rose Garden, Werribee Open Range Zoo, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, Shadowfax Winery, K Road Cliffs, Werribee River, Cheetham Wetlands, Point Cook Coastal Park, RAAF Museum, Wyndham Harbour and the internationally recognised birdwatching site at the Western Treatment Plant.
Victoria University
Victoria University (VU) was founded in 1916 as Footscray Technical School and has evolved to become one of the largest and most culturally diverse education institutions in Australia. It is one of only five multi-sector universities offering vocational education (TAFE) and higher education courses. VU now has more than 48,000 enrolled students, which includes more than 13,400 international students studying our courses onshore or with partner institutions offshore. More than 2,400 academics, teaching and general staff join with the University’s students to make VU a university that is excellent, engaged and accessible.
VU maintains strong links with local communities, government and industry, and is distinctive because of its transformational role in improving the lives of people and communities, especially in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne. Victoria University sees several strategic links in our association with Western Melbourne Tourism through the provision of tourism, hospitality, events and music industry research, education and advice that can assist with the professional development of the tourism and events sector in the west. VU also seeks to assist in the development of Footscray’s university town concept through involvement with the City of Maribyrnong, The Footscray Community Arts Centre, the establishment of the Metro West venue and links in Education and with Western Health.
WMT board member Dr Colin Drake is VU’s representative. Colin is VU’s MBA Program Director and has in excess of twenty years’ experience in tourism and events management in Australia and overseas.
Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria is responsible for managing an expanding and diverse portfolio of public land assets covering more than 4 million hectares, approximately 17 per cent of Victoria. Parks Victoria is committed to delivering works on the ground across Victoria’s park network to protect and enhance park values. At the core of responsibilities is ensuring parks are healthy and resilient for current and future generations.
Parks and nature are an important part of improving and maintaining health, both for individuals and the community. Parks Victoria has a clear role to play in connecting people and communities with parks through its core ethos of Healthy Parks and Healthy People.
Land is managed in the context of its surrounding landscape and in partnership with traditional owners. Parks Victoria works in partnership with a broad range of other government and non-government organisations and community groups such as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, catchment management authorities, private land owners, friends groups, volunteers, licensed tour operators, lessees, research institutes and the broader community.
For Melbourne’s west Parks Victoria operates from a regional office based at Werribee Park. Park Victoria manages some of the key visitor attractions in Melbourne’s west including the Werribee Park Mansion precinct (including Werribee Mansion, Mansion Hotel and State Rose Garden), Werribee River Park, Point Cook Coastal Park, Cheatham Wetlands Jawbone Marine sanctuary and Brimbank Park.
Quest Apartment Hotels
Quest Apartment Hotels is a member of the largest serviced apartment network in the world, The Ascott Limited. Across its 34-year lifespan, Quest has amassed a total of 160 metropolitan, regional and suburban locations throughout Australia, New Zealand, UK and Fiji. These contemporary spaces are carefully designed to meet the needs of Quest’s core market: the modern business traveller. At Quest, we make corporate stay effortless.
Quest operates under a franchise model, with hotels run by passionate local owners with what we like to call ‘skin in the game’. These dedicated individuals are committed to the ongoing success of their respective businesses, making Quest a reliable partner for key stakeholders.
Recently, Quest has been feted for its success on the global stage, taking home numerous distinguished awards in the accommodation, franchising and business sectors.
Arts West
Arts West is a unique alliance of arts organisations and independent artists who together reflect the exciting, vibrant and ever expanding arts and culture thriving in Melbourne’s west.
Arts West core organisations include 100 Story Building, ArtsGen, Footscray Community Arts, Snuff Puppets, The Substation, Western Edge Youth Arts, and Women’s Circus.
Collectively, Arts West delivers the bulk of arts and cultural activities and engagement throughout Melbourne’s west locally and also regionally, nationally and internationally. Through deep emotional and historical connections, Arts West has an extensive and diverse reach providing cultural services to over 200,000 visitors annually.
With an anticipated 32% population growth across the region before 2023, Melbourne’s west is one of Australia’s fastest growing areas with over 130 cultural groups and 150 languages represented. Arts and culture plays a significant role in framing the next generation of community engagement, health, wellbeing and cohesion – as an alliance, Arts West aims to better understand and engage with diverse communities and audiences that this unprecedented growth will bring.
Zoos Victoria / Werribee Open Range Zoo
Watching the herds of Zebra, Giraffe and Southern White Rhinos grazing on the savannah at Werribee Open Range Zoo, it’s hard to believe that you’re just a 30-minute drive away from Melbourne’s CBD. A vital hub in the Werribee Park Tourism Precinct, Werribee Open Range Zoo is home to some of Africa’s most iconic animals as well as wildlife from the grasslands of Asia, North America and Australia. A Safari Bus Tour provides visitors with a taste of Africa and is completed by a range of Keeper Talks and special encounters including off road adventures, behind the scenes animal experiences and a Slumber Safari overnight experience. As part of Zoos Victoria, Werribee Open Range Zoo plays a critical role in saving some of the world’s most endangered animals with breeding programs and research, and campaigns that inspire visitors to fight extinction. Werribee Open Range Zoo first opened to the public in 1983 and now welcomes more than half a million visitors each year.
Zoos Victoria provides industry representation on the Western Melbourne Tourism Board, represented by Director of Business Development, Robyn Grattidge
