Spendmapp data reveals Moyne Shire growth after COVID

The data from Spendmapp logged financial transactions made within the shire, including whether the money was spent by a local or a visitor. It showed spending grew by 14.4 per cent in 2022 to $123.9 million, up from $108.3 million in 2021.

The shire had notched record rises in 2021 as it emerged from the difficult depths of 2020's repeated COVID-19 lockdowns. The $108.3 million total spend in 2021 was a 31.2 per cent increase from 2020.

The huge spending increase in 2021 had been driven by visitors to the shire, with the visitor spend up 37.8 percent as people made the most of regional lockdowns being lifted. Not only was spending significantly up on 2020 levels, it was also up on pre-COVID 2019 levels in every month except August and September.

While the 2022 figures were never likely to keep up with the surge seen in 2021, the nearly 15 per cent spending growth reflected the continuing development of local businesses in the shire.

The breakdown of resident and visitor spending (16.5 per cent and 13.4 per cent) also showed the region's steady tourist growth and strong support for local businesses.

Moyne Shire Council environment, economy and place director Jodie McNamara said the 2022 figures were encouraging and gave hope for 2023, despite cost of living pressures hitting many households hard.

"Important local and community events are probably going to further bolster Moyne's popularity throughout the region," Ms McNamara said.

"We know the Port Fairy Folk Festival was back in full swing this year and that's had a really positive impact compared with previous years, so we hope that will continue.

"Until we get the full data for the 2023 year we can only anticipate what it will look like. Our caravan parks are booked in advance, so we know that's going to look OK, but in terms of the wider economic impact of the cost of living issue, only time will tell."

Ms McNamara said Moyne benefited from being close to the regional centres of Warrnambool, Hamilton and Portland. The three cities consistently provide the most visitors to the shire, with Warrnambool the comfortable leader. The top places of origin outside western Victoria were the inner-south Melbourne suburbs of South Yarra, Armadale and Glen Iris.

Looking back at the 2020 spending figures paints a clear picture of life in lockdown. Visitor spending was down compared to pre-COVID levels, as was spending on services and discretionary spending, but money going towards consumer staples was up an astonishing $8.5 million.

Local discretionary spending fluctuated wildly throughout the year, plummeting by as much as $3 million in April as Victoria's first lockdown stretched on, and booming by more than $2 million in December.

The local economy stayed steady thanks to residents spending their money close to home, a pattern that continued through 2021 and 2022. Ms McNamara said the government and council support of local businesses had been crucial to keeping doors open and said the council had kept up the focus on local spending.

"I think coinciding with that growth in 2021 and 2022 we ran our Love Local campaigns and encouraged our community to shop locally and that may have some lingering effect," she said.

"We are still committed to endorsing our local products and our local businesses so we'd hope that would continue.

"I think if we look back on that time and how tough it was for everybody, I think those were important initiatives for our local businesses."

Ms McNamara said while there had been a lot of talk about the council having to wind back spending and "do more with less", there would be a continued focus on local businesses.

"We do have financial headwinds but that doesn't mean we stop trying to support our businesses, particularly in peak times because as holiday destinations they're the key times businesses model on and look forward to," she said.

"The impact from COVID has been vast and I don't think it's necessarily over, so we still need to find ways to support our local businesses."

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