A lifestyle of choice

Wide open spaces and epic coastlines. Thriving businesses and a lively events scene. Friendly, strong communities of people building positive futures. It’s such a perfect place to live, Port Fairy, Moyne’s largest town has been recognised as the world’s most liveable town

Moyne wraps around the regional city of Warrnambool. It’s a flourishing centre of 30,000 people with all the regular supermarkets and services, plus specialised health services, Deakin University, South West TAFE, V-Line trains to Melbourne, multiple high schools and a gorgeous coastline too.

Here are some reasons people love living in Moyne:

• beautiful sense of clean, safe, open space to live and work in
• small townships with progressive, friendly communities and a shared sense of pride
• affordable homes
• only three hours from Melbourne, with good road, rail and bus links
• job opportunities in Moyne, Warrnambool or other parts of the region
• excellent local schools
• easy lifestyle (getting to work, dropping the kids at school, running errands are simpler and faster here)
• no traffic and great road networks
• loads of natural assets like uncrowded beaches, parks, reserves, river systems and trails
• fresh produce and local artisan products available at weekly markets
• tourism and agriculture industries, with all the flow-on jobs
• a short drive to the Grampians, Portland, Mt. Gambier and other great locations
• positive communities and low overheads make Moyne a great place to work from home or start a business.

Industries and employment

Moyne’s biggest industries are:

• Agriculture (2,365 jobs)
• Manufacturing, mostly based in two dairy production facilities and a large pharmaceutical factory (1,061 jobs)
• Tourism, retail and accommodation (approximately 700 jobs)

Many people live in Moyne and work in Warrnambool. It’s an easy drive and offers a wide range of job opportunities.

Other top employers in Moyne are:

• hospitals and aged care
• early childhood centres and primary schools
• arts, local government, transport and recreational services.

Run a home-based business?

From a recent shire survey, 46% of business respondents said they had a home-based business. Moyne’s a fantastic place to run a business from home because:

• property is affordable
• there is great internet and mobile connectivity
• financial, digital, IT, insurance and other professional services are readily available
• regional Victoria can open up a whole new customer-base for many businesses
• finding a healthy balance between work and lifestyle is easier with stacks of options for fitness, relaxation, socialising, learning and exploring outside of your work
• townships are full of positive, like-minded people, who can help you network and collaborate with others.

Property and housing

From large agricultural holdings, to hobby farms, one-acre blocks in town or smaller properties like duplexes or cottages, Moyne offers a wide range of housing options.

The average house price in Moyne is $343,750.
The average residential land price is $140,000.

Buoyed by tourism scenes, real estate in Peterborough and Port Fairy is the most expensive. But there are many other hamlets to consider. Here are a selection of median prices for residential property across Moyne:

• Hawkesdale, $300,000
• Koroit $330,000
• Macarthur $130,000
• Mortlake $160,000
• Peterborough $580,000
• Port Fairy $650,000

Renting

Renting in Moyne Shire is also an affordable option. While data is not available for all townships, below are some indicative average weekly rental fees across the Shire. These numbers are broadly based on a 3-4 bedroom home:

• Koroit, $270 pw
• Mortlake, $240 pw
• Port Fairy, $400 pw

Education

Smaller schools, dedicated local teachers and lots of outdoor play. Schools in Moyne Shire are well funded and well attended.

Regional schools can offer a more personalised or attentive style of learning, partly because enrollment numbers are smaller but also because the work-life balance for teachers is better. In particular, many of Moyne’s schools offer excellent arts, environment, language and digital programs that are hands-on or focused on real-life experiential learning. They’re also committed to being safe, inclusive places with no bullying. These might be small schools, but they have a firm grasp on global issues and the need to prepare students for a world that goes far beyond traditional small-town boundaries.

Moyne’s primary and high school options are also affordable and supported by loving, committed communities.

Many secondary students attend high school in Warrnambool, with some attending schools in Hamilton or Ballarat (day and boarding high schools).