Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley don’t get as much attention as Geelong, Ballarat, or Bendigo when regional tech is discussed. That’s a mistake. There’s interesting activity happening, driven by the region’s strong agricultural economy and growing recognition that technology is essential infrastructure.

I spent time in the region recently, talking to local tech workers, business owners, and supporters.

The Economic Context

The Goulburn Valley’s economy centres on food production and processing. Orchards, dairy, vegetables, and the processing facilities that handle them.

This shapes the tech scene in specific ways:

Agtech focus: Technology solving agricultural problems has obvious relevance and local markets.

Seasonal patterns: Business activity peaks around harvest seasons, affecting tech project timelines.

Practical orientation: Businesses want technology that solves problems, not technology for its own sake.

Local Tech Employment

Major employers with significant tech staff include:

SPC and other food processors: Manufacturing technology, automation, supply chain systems, quality control technology.

Goulburn Valley Health: Healthcare IT, clinical systems, data management.

Local government: GIS, citizen services technology, infrastructure systems.

Agricultural businesses: Farm management systems, irrigation technology, logistics.

Many tech workers are employed by businesses where IT supports the core function rather than being the core function. This is typical of regional tech employment.

Remote Workers

A growing population of remote workers has chosen Shepparton for lifestyle and cost reasons.

Housing costs remain dramatically lower than Melbourne or the larger regional centres. The town has good amenities. Travel to Melbourne is manageable.

These remote workers bring tech skills and often contribute to local community—attending meetups, advising local businesses, sometimes starting ventures.

The Agtech Opportunity

The Goulburn Valley’s concentration of horticultural and dairy operations creates genuine opportunity for agriculture technology:

Irrigation management: Water is critical and expensive. Technology that optimises irrigation has direct value.

Harvest prediction and planning: Labour management during harvest is complex. Better prediction tools help.

Quality monitoring: For food processors, technology that ensures quality and traceability meets regulatory and customer requirements.

Cold chain management: Fresh produce requires careful temperature management. IoT monitoring is increasingly standard.

Several local ventures are building solutions in these areas, some with national ambitions.

Infrastructure Assessment

NBN: Coverage is comprehensive in Shepparton proper. Quality varies—some areas have FTTP, others remain on older technologies.

Mobile: 4G coverage is solid in town, patchy on farms. 5G is available in central areas.

Coworking: The Shepparton Business Hub offers coworking space. Capacity is limited and demand is growing.

Community and Support

Greater Shepparton Tech Group: Monthly meetups with modest but consistent attendance. Welcoming to newcomers.

La Trobe University Shepparton: Provides educational pathways and some research connections.

Business support: Local councils and regional development organisations offer standard programs, though with less tech-specific focus than larger centres.

Challenges

Talent scarcity: Finding skilled tech workers locally is very difficult. Most businesses either train internally or hire remotely.

Limited networking: The tech community is small enough that networking events feel repetitive.

Melbourne gravity: Ambitious tech workers often move to Melbourne. The region loses talent it develops.

Visibility: The Goulburn Valley doesn’t feature prominently in discussions of regional tech, making it harder to attract investment and attention.

Opportunities

For tech workers: Less competition for local opportunities, lower living costs, genuine community connection.

For businesses: Underserved market for technology services, strong local economy, accessible decision-makers.

For startups: Agtech problems with national applicability, local testing grounds, less crowded than other markets.

Recommendations

If you’re considering Shepparton: Visit first. Spend a few days understanding the community and whether it fits your needs.

If you’re already there: Engage with the local tech community, even if it’s small. Contribute to building what you wish existed.

If you’re building agtech: Consider the Goulburn Valley as a testing ground. Real farmers with real problems provide valuable feedback.

The Shepparton and Goulburn Valley tech scene is earlier in its development than larger regional centres. That means less infrastructure and support, but also more opportunity to shape what emerges.

For regional businesses in the Goulburn Valley exploring AI and technology options, AI consultants in Sydney can help evaluate practical implementations that match local connectivity and resource constraints.