At a glance
Population
21,662
Nearby regional city
Ballarat - 1hr 15min (100km)
Surrounding Towns
- Colac
- Apollo Bay
- Birregurra
- Beech Forest
- Beeac
- Forrest
- Gellibrand
- Lavers Hill
Average Temperature
Winter: 4.3°c - 13.1°c
Welcome home
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.
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.
