Case Studies

Background

The Grampians National Park is a world-renowned natural and culturally significant area located approximately 220km west of Melbourne. Northern Grampians Shire Council (Council) continues to invest in Halls Gap’s long-term role in delivering high-quality commercial, residential, and visitor experiences via longer-term planning policy, master plan development, and public capital expenditure. As the key urban settlement within the National Park, the need for investment in new road infrastructure has been identified by Council to manage parking congestion and strategically restructure the urban centre. 

Project Goals

The proposed Heath Street Bridge project includes a road and bridge to connect Heath Street to Grampians Road, creating a bypass through the Halls Gap Township and thereby alleviating congestion in the village centre. The project is identified as one of seven priority actions from the Halls Gap Village Centre Action Plan and is critical to achieving the village’s potential as a world-class tourism destination.  

The project aims to catalyse new commercial development on underutilised land along Heath Street while also improving the village centre’s amenities and walkability. The specific purpose of the report is to identify and demonstrate the economic value of the proposed project, the beneficial impact it will have on the appeal of the Halls Gap town centre, and the activation of underutilised land along Heath Street and in the village centre. 

REMPLAN’s Involvement

EMPLAN was commissioned to complete an economic assessment and business case for the Heath Street Bridge Project. This assessment included: 

• Project Context: An overview of the proposed development, along with an understanding of the scope and budget. 

• Economic Impact Assessment: An evaluation of the likely impacts that construction and reduced road congestion will have on the local economy.  

• Cost Benefit Analysis: An assessment of the net benefit and Cost Benefit Ratio of the project, considering direct capital expenditure and ongoing operational costs of the new road and bridge infrastructure.  

Results

Economic benefits include:  

• Infrastructure construction that support $14.2 million in output, 30 jobs, and $5.9 million in value-added. 

• Reduced traffic congestion that provides a potential $1.0 million in output, 4 jobs and $0.5 million in value-added. 

• Net benefit of $14.4 million at a 4% discount rate, with a Cost Benefit Ratio of 1 : 1.05. 

Successful funding of $500,000 for the pre-construction planning via the Victorian Government Investment Fast-Track Fund.