Population isn’t the only thing booming in Wyndham – new business is also on the up.
Recently released data from the federal government reveals postcode 3030, which takes in Werribee and Hoppers Crossing, registered 7159 new businesses in the 2015-16 financial year, the most in Victoria.
Sara Mitchell, the brains behind BizBuddyHub, a co-working space that encourages small businesses in Wyndham to work together, was not surprised
“There is a remarkable common thread coming through from local micro business owners, who are looking to set up and utilise their skills from a local level,” Ms Mitchell said.
“(There are) stories of being corporate refugees, either by design or through redundancies, the need to be closer to home … the desire for more purposeful, connected work.”
She said the mix of new businesses around Wyndham was interesting, including legal and financial services, as well as logistical and transport businesses, such as Uber and courier services, and food businesses.
Council’s economics portfolio holder Walter Villagonzalo said he believes more businesses have set up locally because people are fed up with traffic.
“There are a lot of residents who are sick of the traffic going to the city, so they consider setting up a business in the local area to spend more time with their family,” he said, adding that council should give business more support.
Werribee MP and state treasurer Tim Pallas said the statistics are a vote of confidence in Werribee, and Wyndham more broadly, becoming a vital jobs hub of the western suburbs.
