Moorabool Infrastructure Projects, VIC

Moorabool combines a strong construction base with transport, energy and population growth pressures

Economic base

Moorabool has a broad regional economy with a pronounced construction and logistics character. In the 2021 Census, construction accounted for 14.9% of employed residents and transport, postal and warehousing for 7.2%. Health care and social assistance accounted for 11.3%, education and training 9.6%, retail trade 7.9% and manufacturing 5.6%. Agriculture, forestry and fishing contributed 3.6%, while professional, scientific and technical services contributed 5.2%. This mix combines land-based activity, goods movement, building work and essential services rather than relying on one industry.

The business base reinforces that pattern. In June 2025, Moorabool had 3,721 registered businesses and 1,340 employing businesses. Construction accounted for 959 registered businesses and 412 employing businesses, while transport, postal and warehousing accounted for 479 and 133 respectively. Agriculture, forestry and fishing had 439 registered businesses, manufacturing 107, and health care and social assistance 147. The current labour force was 22,878 in 2026-Q1, with 831 unemployed people and an unemployment rate of 3.6%. These measures describe business presence and labour-market conditions separately; they do not equate registered businesses with jobs.

Project program

The project program is concentrated in energy and transport. Energy work is active, with further energy work proposed. Transport work is proposed, while transport and industrial work is completed. The direction therefore runs from completed transport and industrial activity towards active energy work and a proposed combination of energy and transport work. The largest priced work is transport at a mid-sized scale. Transport work is shared with other councils, so its potential access and freight effects extend beyond Moorabool’s boundaries.

This program sits alongside a substantial flow of approved building work. Residential building work approved in the 12 months to July 2026 was valued at $156.8m. Non-residential building work approved in the 12 months to June 2026 was valued at $38.5m, equal to 0.90× Moorabool’s own weighted three-year average. Together, these measures point to ongoing construction activity across homes and non-residential buildings, while the project program adds an infrastructure dimension through energy and transport work. Building approvals measure work approved to proceed, not completed output.

Economic connections

The strongest supported connection is between transport work and Moorabool’s established goods-movement and construction base. Transport, postal and warehousing employs 7.2% of employed residents, and the council has 479 registered businesses and 133 employing businesses in that industry. Proposed transport work could support freight and access connections, while completed transport work forms part of the area’s existing infrastructure base. Because some transport work is shared with other councils, these connections may operate across local government boundaries rather than solely within Moorabool.

Energy work aligns with an economy that includes electricity, gas, water and waste services, manufacturing and construction. The council had 31 registered businesses and 14 employing businesses in electricity, gas, water and waste services in June 2025, alongside 107 manufacturing businesses and 959 construction businesses. Active and proposed energy work could support grid capacity or industrial enablement, but the measures support no conclusion about a local output or employment result. Residential and non-residential approvals also connect construction activity with population and service demand, while health care and education are material employment sectors that depend on adequate community capacity.

Outlook

Moorabool’s near-term outlook is shaped by population growth and a changing infrastructure mix. Estimated resident population was 40,472 in 2025, an increase of 763 or 1.9%. Natural increase contributed 297 people, net internal migration 358 and net overseas migration 108. The combination is consistent with continuing demand for housing, transport and community services. Housing approvals provide a current construction signal, while energy and transport work indicate infrastructure activity that may support the functioning of a growing regional economy.

The main tension is between the pace of approved housing and the published long-term target. The target is 714 homes a year in July 2026, while dwellings approved since July 2023 were assessed at 44% of the yearly pace required across July 2023 to July 2026. Non-residential approvals were below Moorabool’s own three-year average at 0.90× in the year to June 2026. Future conditions will therefore be shaped by the mix of housing approvals, business and labour-market activity, and whether the proposed energy and transport program progresses alongside service capacity.

For council and planning staff

The housing target is 714 homes a year in July 2026, and the approved pace was 44% of the yearly pace required across July 2023 to July 2026. Dwellings approved per 1,000 residents were 8.4 in the 12 months to July 2026. Population was 40,472 in 2025, up by 763 or 1.9%; natural increase contributed 297, net internal migration 358 and net overseas migration 108. Service capacity included 2 open hospitals, of which 1 was public, 40 approved centre-based childcare services and 2,906 approved childcare places, plus 4 residential aged care homes and 324 residential aged care places.

For buyers’ agents and investors

In the 2021 Census, 47.3% of occupied private dwellings were owned with a mortgage, 32.1% were owned outright and 17.2% were rented. Average household size was 2.6 persons and median age was 39. A total of 45% lived at a different address 5 years earlier. Median weekly household income was $1,785 and median weekly personal income was $802. The labour force participation rate was 63.7% in 2021, while the unemployment rate was 3.6% in 2026-Q1. New dwelling approvals in the 12 months to July 2026 comprised 252 houses and 88 townhouses, apartments and other dwellings.

For builders and developers

Dwellings approved totalled 340 in the 12 months to July 2026, comprising 252 houses and 88 townhouses, apartments and other dwellings. The total was 1.10× Moorabool’s own three-year average. Residential building work approved was valued at $156.8m in that period. Non-residential building work approved was valued at $38.5m in the 12 months to June 2026, equal to 0.90× the council’s own weighted three-year average. Construction businesses numbered 959 registered and 412 employing in June 2025, while construction accounted for 14.9% of employed residents in the 2021 Census.

Key takeaways

• Moorabool’s economic character is anchored by construction and transport, with supporting roles for health care, education, manufacturing, retail and agriculture.
• Project activity is shifting towards active and proposed energy work alongside proposed transport work, following completed transport and industrial work; some transport work is shared with other councils.
• Population increased by 1.9% in 2025, while the housing-target pace was 44% across July 2023 to July 2026 and non-residential approvals were 0.90× Moorabool’s own three-year average in the year to June 2026.

Sources

• Construction — ABS Census 2021
• Registered businesses — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Unemployment rate — Small Area Labour Markets
• Transport, postal and warehousing — ABS Census 2021
• Health care and social assistance — ABS Census 2021
• Education and training — ABS Census 2021
• Retail trade — ABS Census 2021
• Manufacturing — ABS Census 2021
• Agriculture, forestry and fishing — ABS Census 2021
• Professional, scientific and technical services — ABS Census 2021
• Employing businesses — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Construction — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Employing businesses, Construction — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Transport, Postal and Warehousing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Employing businesses, Transport, Postal and Warehousing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Manufacturing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Health Care and Social Assistance — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Labour force — Small Area Labour Markets
• Unemployed persons — Small Area Labour Markets
• Value of residential building work approved (new homes, alterations and additions), latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Non-residential building approvals, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Non-residential building approvals versus this council's own three-year average, weighted by the value of those approvals — ABS Building Approvals
• Registered businesses, Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Employing businesses, Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Estimated resident population — ABS Regional Population
• Dwellings approved since July 2023 against the yearly pace the housing target needs (100% is on pace) — Plan for Victoria
• Population change — ABS Regional Population
• Population change — ABS Regional Population
• Natural increase — ABS Regional Population
• Net internal migration — ABS Regional Population
• Net overseas migration — ABS Regional Population
• Dwellings approved, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Target: 20,000 net new dwellings from 2023 to 2051 (714 a year) — Plan for Victoria
• Dwellings approved since July 2023 — ABS Building Approvals
• Open public and private hospitals — AIHW MyHospitals
• Dwellings approved per 1,000 residents, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Public hospitals — AIHW MyHospitals
• Approved centre-based childcare services — ACECQA national register
• Approved childcare places — ACECQA national register
• Residential aged care homes — AIHW GEN aged care
• Residential aged care places — AIHW GEN aged care
• Owned with a mortgage — ABS Census 2021
• New houses approved, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Owned outright — ABS Census 2021
• Rented — ABS Census 2021
• Average household size — ABS Census 2021
• Median age — ABS Census 2021
• Lived at a different address 5 years ago — ABS Census 2021
• Median household income (weekly) — ABS Census 2021
• Median personal income (weekly) — ABS Census 2021
• Labour force participation rate — ABS Census 2021
• Townhouses, apartments and other dwellings approved, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Dwellings approved versus this council's own three-year average — ABS Building Approvals