PAST EVENTS
WoMEDA Dialogue Launch
Shaping the Future of Melbourne's West
The inaugural WoMEDA Dialogue at Footscray’s Western Oval in May this year marked an important moment for Melbourne's West, bringing together government, business, infrastructure, education and community leaders to outline opportunities, challenges and a long-term vision for Victoria’s fastest-growing economic corridor.
Former Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll (now Premier of Victoria) launched the Dialogue and WoMEDA Chair Professor Peter Dawkins introduced WoMEDA's new Executive Director, Giulia Baggio.
Our panellists Ari Suss, Melbourne Avalon Airport; Leigh Petschel, Port of Melbourne; Julia Truong, JTPM Group; and Penny Dabner, Frasers Property Australia shared perspectives on leadership, investment, infrastructure and collaboration across the West, chaired by Plenary’s Kelvyn Lavelle.
Melbourne's West is no longer simply a region of future potential but one of growing influence, innovation and opportunity. As WoMEDA continues to build momentum across the region, memberships are now officially open for businesses and organisations looking to proactively shape the future of Melbourne's West.
West of Melbourne Summit 2025
The inaugural West of Melbourne Summit 2025, presented by WoMEDA in partnership with The Age, brought together Australia's leading decision-makers, industry leaders, academics and community representatives to shape the future of Melbourne's West. Across a Gala Dinner and full-day Summit, delegates heard from distinguished speakers including Premier The Hon. Jacinta Allan MP, Federal Minister The Hon. Clare O'Neil MP, Opposition Leader Brad Battin MP, former Premier The Hon. Steve Bracks AC, Professor Peter Dawkins AO, George Megalogenis, Gabrielle Trainor AO, and senior leaders from government, industry, local councils and academia. Together, they explored the region's most pressing opportunities and challenges, from economic development, infrastructure and housing to investment, education, health and regional growth. The Summit also marked the launch of WoMEDA's Western Growth: Unlocking Melbourne's Economic Engine Strategic Foundations Paper, providing a roadmap to unlock investment, create jobs and maximise the potential of one of Australia's fastest-growing regions.
Economic Briefing 2025
With Melbourne's west projected to welcome an additional 300,000 residents between 2026 and 2036, WoMEDA has released its latest report examining how the creation of 20,000 new jobs in the region could shape the future, particularly the impact on workers' commuting times.
At WoMEDA's 2025 Economic Briefing, WoMEDA's economic adviser, Professor Janine Dixon of the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS), Victoria University provided new data and insights in a thought-provoking presentation.
The report models a range of scenarios highlighting how the creation of 20,000 local jobs within the west could influence travel patterns and commuting times for workers from across the West of Melbourne.
The event also included a dynamic panel discussion between Fiona Blair (CEO, Brimbank City Council), Michael Edmonds (Invest Victoria), Kelvyn Lavelle (Plenary), Eric Braslis (City of Wyndham) and Roslyn Wai (CEO, Melton City Council) on the emerging strengths and opportunities of the West.
Strategic Foundations Paper
At the Summit, WoMEDA launched its Strategic Foundations Paper 'Western Growth: Unlocking Melbourne's Economic Engine' a roadmap to influence sustainable growth, investment and jobs and realise the potential of the region. You can download this here.