+ AREA VITAL STATISTICS

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Looking for a place both naturally spectacular and ripe with opportunity? Look no further than the Colac Otway Shire.

Colac Otway is one of the most picturesque shires in Victoria. It covers a diverse area from volcanic lakes, craters and plains in the north, through the lush hinterland forests and waterfalls of the Otway Ranges, to the magnificent Great Ocean Road coastline.

It’s also a highly active shire, supporting a network of more than 1200 businesses and 800 farms. The thriving economy, in primary industries, tourism, food and fibre, commercial and community services, provides employment opportunities aplenty. The inland city of Colac provides opportunity year-round, while Apollo Bay, a coastal hotspot, swells in population from 1000 to 15,000 during the summer season.

Our major manufacturers, Bulla Dairy Foods, AKD Softwoods and Australian Lamb Company provide employment opportunities across many fields. Colac's recent connection to the NBN has made working from the shire/home faster, easier and more accessible.

Tourism is also a major employer for the shire with much of the visitation occurring on the Great Ocean Road at our coastal towns of Apollo Bay, Wye River and Kennett River. A step off the road and you are in the Otways, smelling the damp earth, breathing in the mist from the many waterfalls, feeling the adrenaline rush of zipping through the tree tops at the Otway Fly or riding through the bush on the mountain bike trails at Forrest.

Red Rock, a young dormant volcano, 10 minutes north of Colac provides spectacular views of the volcanic plains and lakes and the surrounding farming region. Also visible is Lake Corangamite, one of Australia's largest permanent salt water lakes and part of the RAMSAR wetlands. Water birds from all over the world including Siberia and China visit these lakes during the year.

Whether it’s to soak up nature or to escape the busy metropolis, the Colac Otway Shire invites you to discover its potential.

Couple in Colac Otway

Red Rock, a young dormant volcano, 10 minutes north of Colac provides spectacular views of the volcanic plains and lakes and the surrounding farming region. Also visible is Lake Corangamite, one of Australia's largest permanent salt water lakes and part of the RAMSAR wetlands. Water birds from all over the world including Siberia and China visit these lakes during the year.

Whether it’s to soak up nature or to escape the busy metropolis, the Colac Otway Shire invites you to discover its potential.

Colac Otway Shire is an easy two hour drive west of Melbourne. If you'd like to find out more, get in touch with the Shire Council.
(03) 5232 9400
Email (external link)
colacotway.vic.gov.au (external link)

Discover more in Colac OtwayShire

If you live and work in Colac the commute to work is just five minutes, unless of course you choose to live along the coast, where the commute to Colac is an hour – not through gridlock traffic – but through the fresh air of the Otways, the ultimate destination for a tree change in Victoria.
In Colac, the houses and the backyards are big, but the mortgage is small, especially compared with city prices. With a median house price of $258,000, throughout Colac and district you’ll find some of the most affordable housing in regional Victoria Towns such as Birregurra and Beeac feature beautiful historic streetscapes. Or perhaps you prefer a bushland setting or small acreage, where you can wake up to the call of native birds, keep a horse or run some cattle. Imagine living five minutes away from your workplace! Live on our coast and commute to Colac for work in an hour through the fresh air of the Otways.
We have great schools, childcare and kindergartens, and Colac is just an hour away from four regional universities. Colac Otway Shire has one specialist school for children with special needs, 10 government primary schools, three Catholic primary schools, two P-12 government schools and two secondary colleges (one Catholic).
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