Ten years of planning have culminated in the completion of stage one of the $65 million Mann Central development, which formally opened on Wednesday, October 11.

Staff, residents and neighbouring businesses attended the event to celebrate a huge milestone for the Wodonga central business area.

Local builders Joss Constructions were appointed to build the development which encompasses an area of 16,914 square metres. Workers inducted on site reached 1000 during the build and about 90 per cent of local trades were used.

Anchor tenants include Coles, Liquorland, Kmart and Kmart Auto. This is now the largest Coles in the area and has resulted in the hiring of 30 additional staff – bringing the store’s workforce to 110 team members. The Kmart store has been recognised as  one of the best in Australia.

In stage 1 there are nine specialty stores and confirmed shops include Coffee Club, Albury Bakery, Yatai Sushi and Orchid Road Massage and Nails, which will open in due course.

Anyone interested in leasing spaces in and around the development should call Steve Martin of Stanley and Martin on 0419 269 687.

In July 2017, Seeley International announced it would establish its manufacturing plant in Wodonga.

Seeley International is Australia's largest air-conditioning manufacturer and global leader in developing energy-efficient cooling and heating. Its manufacturing plant is currently in Albury.

The company is set to build a $20 million purpose-built manufacturing facility to support future growth and help supply heating and cooling systems to key markets in Melbourne and Sydney.

The move will see the creation of 205 new manufacturing jobs, including jobs for specialist engineers at the research and development centre, with an additional 76 jobs created through the supply chain. Construction activity is expected to create a further 22 jobs.

More information here.

The presence of the new Woolworths centre on 107-117 High St has enticed Hume Bank, ANZ, Jannoel Florist and Optus to update the functionality, visual appeal and accessibility of their shopfronts through the relocation of their Wodonga-based branches.

Hume Bank was the first speciality shop to open at Wodonga Place in August having closed its doors at former locations on High St and Wodonga Plaza to create an "all-in-one" offering.

In line with the recently refurbished Olive St head office, the new branch was established with the help of 25 local firms at a cost of about $400,000. Featuring three ATMs and Wi-Fi, Hume Bank is providing customers with a modern space that satisfies their changing needs.

Similarly, ANZ Bank ceased operations from 170 High St (a site they had occupied for 52 years) on September 1 and reopened at the centre on September 6.

The new branch includes an open-plan layout and roaming tellers, as well as assisted digital self-service banking options including three ANZ Smart ATMs that offer 24-hour accessibility. The need to meet the evolving needs of the customer was also a primary driver for ANZ's move.

Jannoel Florist and Optus continue to work on their fitout and will open in due course. F45 gymnasium is also a confirmed tenant at the centre.

Results from the 2017 Albury Wodonga Business Survey point to increasing confidence in the local economic environment, with 60 per cent of businesses feeling more positive about the year ahead than they have in seven years.

Similarly, 70 per cent of businesses are optimistic about the outlook of their individual operations over the next 12 months.

This upsurge in confidence is also evidenced in the 62 per cent of businesses that plan to undertake capital improvements in the next year, which is the highest percentage in eight years.

A full copy of the key findings can be found here, as well as a short online video clip here.

Want to learn how to reduce your business' electricity consumption, reduce your environmental impact and save money on your power bills?

Come along to hear about Sustainability Victoria's suite of support offerings for businesses, including available grants.

Len McKelvey of OzGreen Energy will demonstrate the use of electricity monitoring devices and explain how you can use this data to reduce your consumption.

Complimentary light breakfast and free admission thanks to the event's sponsors (Sustainability Victoria, North East Water, Wodonga Council, Halve Waste, OzGreen Energy, AlburyCity). Register here.

Wodonga's CBA is now hosting specialist bathroom supplier, Highgrove Bathrooms - a company that prides itself on the provision of designer products at wholesale prices. Located on 22-26 High St in the former Peter White Furniture building, the showroom has everything you need for your next bathroom renovation.

Owners Kylie and Cale were looking for a site for many years and the rapid, progressive growth of Wodonga made the decision an obvious one.

"As a result of thorough planning and preparation, we had a relatively smooth transition and set-up. Finding the perfect location was the final piece of the puzzle and we couldn't be happier with our high exposure and easily accessible location" Cale said.

Unique to other competitors on the Border, the business keeps all products onsite so there is generally no waiting time for stock and their national pricing strategy allows customers to purchase items at metro prices.

“Business in Wodonga is great, and we're impressed by the warm and welcoming reception we’ve received from the region's locals. We're happy to have chosen this location and anticipate a long and fruitful future here” Cale said.

Four new smart tourism terminals are being rolled out during October in the city centre.

The terminals will be located at Wodonga Plaza, Wodonga Railway Station, Wodonga Library as well as an outdoor terminal in Junction Square. As well as access to the Visit Albury Wodonga website, the terminals will include printed visitor guides and maps.

It follows the council’s decision in May to close the Visitor Information Centre and move to a digital presence while continuing to use the pop-up tourism information trailer at major events and invest in the VisitAW destination brand, and marketing and tourism initiatives with AlburyCity.

A review of the council’s wayfinding signage across the city will also identify several static tourism information points for visitor guides and maps. The Visitor Information Centre will formally close on Friday, October 27. More information here.

In addition to SCT's existing four services available from the Logic precinct, the logistics company has added a new 6MB rail service ex Melbourne and Wodonga on Fridays that commenced on October 20, 2017.

The SCT Group launched its first independent service in January 21, 2017 and the company have been well supported by their customers to date. More information here.

In August 2017, Visy announced its operations in Wodonga would benefit from a planned $2 billion dollar investment program, which is forecast to create an additional 5000 jobs in manufacturing over the next decade.

While specific details of the Wodonga outlay are yet to be revealed, Visy has confirmed there will be continual investment in the region's manufacturing footprint, with significant projects already delivered and more in the pipeline.

Works are progressing well in South St with the construction of the roundabout and the section between High and Church streets open to traffic.

Works are continuing in the centre median of South St past Church St and will then move to the northern side of South St once the central works are complete.

Church St and the section of South St between High and Church streets is open to traffic.

Traffic management is in place and motorists are asked to exercise caution and obey signage in the area.

Motorists are encouraged to take advantage of the inner ring road network for the quickest and easiest movement around the city centre.

Resurfacing works also continue in Hume St, from Elgin Boulevard to Stanley St. Two-way traffic will be maintained but traffic management will be in place. Please exercise caution and obey traffic control in the area.

Stay up-to-date with the WotsOn Wodonga app. Download it at wotson.wodonga.vic.gov.au. WotsOn Wodonga includes roadworks updates, an events calendar and parking maps for the CBD. It also allows residents to put in their address to find out which bin goes out each week.

Local businesses are able to share offers and promotions through a special section of the app and location services allow residents and visitors to find the nearest parking, promotions and activities when they are in the city.

Or check out the dedicated websites at cityheart.wodonga.vic.gov.au or wodongamajorprojects.com.au

The council's Economic Development team is pleased to introduce Ryan Hastie, who has joined the team as the Business Engagement Facilitator.

Ryan is the main contact throughout the roadworks in the city centre and will be around in due course to make himself known, if he hasn't already. Ryan is here to help you with any inquiries and feedback you may have to do with the works.

He can assist with loading offers in the app, website and any ideas you might like to work through.

Ryan can be contacted on (02) 6022 9372 or 0435 962 565 or email rhastie@wodonga.vic.gov.au.

The draft Drainage (Stormwater) Asset Management plan is now out for public exhibition for 28 days, closing Friday, November 17.

The Plan forms an essential part of the strategic management of infrastructure for the community.

Stormwater assets are critical infrastructure assets which require ongoing monitoring, maintenance, renewal and upgrade to ensure the assets function to meet community needs and standards. The council manages more than 338km of stormwater pipes and more than 10,000 pits with a replacement value of $92 million.

The documents are available for viewing at the council’s Hovell St offices, Wodonga Library and community centres or online at makewodongayours.com.au.

Written submissions must be clearly marked as Draft Drainage (Stormwater) Asset Management Plan. Submissions can be made online, by email or post.

Online: makewodongayours.com.au
Email: makewodongayours@wodonga.vic.gov.au
Post: PO Box 923, Wodonga, VIC 3689

The planning department issued 46 permits in the July to September 2017 quarter and released 123 residential lots. Read all the planning statistics.

Wodonga Council has granted a planning permit for the staged development of 86 dwellings and three shops in two 5-storey (plus basement car park) buildings at Junction Place. 

This request forms part of a broader masterplan put forward by Central Place Pty Ltd for the development of the remaining land between High and Smythe streets to occur over the next 12 years.

The apartment design includes:
• A mixture of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments;
• Visual articulation of the buildings with deep balconies along the north and south elevations that encourage interaction with public spaces;
• Underground parking so that cars do not dominate street frontages;
• Internal atrium features to bring light into the buildings; and,
• A mix of high-quality external materials and colours that create visual interest, have a long life, are low maintenance and thermally efficient.

Building 1 (Stage 1A) is anticipated to commence early next year with completion forecast by late 2018.

The total value of building work in the July to September 2017 quarter was almost $44 million, and 239 building permits were issued. Building activity remained constant in the quarter with the domestic housing market leading the way. Read all the building statistcs.

The City Heart Shopfront Improvement and Access Fund forms part of Wodonga Council's Business Support during the City Heart Revitalisation works.

A total of $150,000 is available over two years ($75,000 for stage one and $75,000 for stage two of works).

The fund aims to:

• Encourage and facilitate shop owners, operators and landlords to improve their buildings through façade upgrades, thereby improving their presentation to the street.

• Encourage and provide a mechanism for shop owners, operators and landlords to ensure all people can access the front of their premises (regardless of ability or disability).

The fund will include two activity streams:

• $1:$1 matching grants up to $3,000 for shopfront improvements; and,
• $1:$1 matching grants up to $3,000 for internal all abilities access improvements within private buildings that cannot be corrected by the public realm (that is, the footpath) works.

For more information, download the brochure and online application form.