Empowering Industry
Collaboration for Competitiveness
Our purpose is to elevate the local industry and help our businesses improve productivity, competitiveness and opportunities. We do this by providing access to business reviews, group buying, best practice systems, export advice, training, trade shows/missions and more.
Advocacy is key to our role and we work to influence senior decision-makers and government policy in the best interests of our partners and our industry. We provide a single contact point between our members and all levels of government, consultants and training providers to maximise opportunities and minimise duplication of effort. We also plug into key NORTH Link services such as the Jobs Victoria program and the Northern Industry Student Placement Program.
Central to everything we do is consultation. We listen, ask and collaborate with our businesses to make sure we deliver on our promise. Our goal is always to ensure the best outcome for our partners and the regional industry sector we serve.
Our Mission
To support the local food, beverage and fibre industry to improve productivity, competitiveness and opportunities by providing access to business reviews, group buying, best practice systems, export advice, training, trade shows/missions and more.
Founding partners
History
Several years ago, northern Melbourne was facing employment challenges compounded by the cessation of manufacturing at the Ford plant and impacts on the broader supply chain, as well as a wind-down of traditional manufacturing. In response, regional partners commissioned independent and comprehensive research that identified substantial opportunities in a growth manufacturing area – food and beverage.
The Food and Beverage Growth Plan: Melbourne’s North (2014), a report aiming to increase productivity, competitiveness, collaboration and drive innovation in this key manufacturing sector, was launched by the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Industry, in April 2015. The plan identifies the potential to grow the food and beverage sector in Melbourne’s North by an extra 7000 jobs and increase turnover from $2.6 billion to $5 billion over 10 years, if all recommendations are adopted.
The key recommendation was the creation of a powerful regional industry body – a Melbourne’s North Food Group – to provide vision and leadership for the regional food and beverage sector, which comprises over 400 individual businesses. This new group builds on the foundations provided by the Plenty Food Group, which was established in 2003 and co-funded by the cities of Hume and Whittlesea.
The Melbourne’s North Food Group was established in February 2018. Business network facilitator and economic development non-profit, NORTH Link, was selected to manage the group. Funding was provided by the Victorian Government Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources and project partners from across Melbourne’s north.
Governance
NORTH Link
Overall management of the Melbourne’s North Food Group is provided by NORTH Link.
NORTH Link is a strong regional partnership of industry, education and local government, established in 1995, that plays an integral role across northern metropolitan Melbourne. It comprises local councils (the cities of Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Moreland and Whittlesea and the shires of Mitchell and Nillumbik), local tertiary education institutions and industry including Melbourne Airport, Northern Hospital, DPV Health and the Melbourne Market Authority.
Melbourne’s North Food Group Advisory Council
The Advisory Committee comprises senior representatives from food and beverage businesses. It meets regularly to advise on the strategic direction of Melbourne’s North Food Group four times a year.
