Introduction

The following resources provides links to web sites where teachers and students may find information about local markets. These include not only outdoor markets such as the Queen Victoria Market but also strip shopping centres and major retail concentrations such as Northlands and Chadstone etc. A list of websites for some of the more well known outdoor markets has been inlcuded. Local council web sites and industry associations often have useful information on local markets. The Victorian Government also offers a great deal of useful information on Industries and related market in Victoria. The best one stop shop for this type of information is Looksmart Australia. The Work and Money section offers a comprehensive listing of Australian Chambers of Commerce and Trade Associations. These often have the specific detailed commentary required for invetsigating a particular market, industry or product.

Statistics | Regional | Local Development | Councils | Outdoor markets | Wholesale Markets |

General Sources of Local Area Statitics
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Who are your buyers? Collecting local data?

  • Department of Sustainability and Environment Victoria In the research section of this site there is a database called Know your Area . Here students can search for demographic information, housing statistics, employment patterns in your local area. The DB also offers links to local councils in your area as well as other business development organisation. The data is based on the last census however it is free and useful for educational purposes. The department sites also contains a great deal of information on local envirnmental issues and projects that may be easily incorporated into a study of local markets.
  • The Australian Bureau of StatisticsThe ABS offers a range of resources for collecting data about local area's. Schools may purchase the ABS CD-Rom Census for schools which is the best resource available for local area information. Details can be found in the Education section of the ABS site. If students choose education>School Education>Teacher Tools and classroom activities they can access some free 2001 census data and activities prepared by the ABS on gathering data about your local area. Some of this data requires payment and some is free. If teachers wish there are also some spreadsheet activities that assist students in dealing with this topic. Scroll down the page.
  • The Victorain Business Channel This site has a searchable database and provides industry overview statistics for Australia. This is an excellent source of basic information about a wide range of industries and related markets in Australia and Victoria.

Other sources of Local Area Information
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How does Economic Policy affect your industry or market?

  • The Victorian Department of Infrastructure The DOI maintains a directory of links to local councils and keeps a record of major council infrastructure projects.
  • The Municipal Association of Victoria offers a range of information about local Government and local Government projects as well.
  • The Victorian Local Governance Association This site is offers information about how to succeed in local Government. It has a magazine and a useful set of links.
  • The Department of Sustainability and Environement. This site offers a great deal of information about the resource requirements for supporting and developing local infrastructure. How many schools etc will a suburb need? What will be the environmental impacts etc? Towns in Time is a resource teachers may find interesting.
  • Victoria Online This site is a gateway to Victoria Government web sites. Details of the State Budget and state funded local projects can be found here, state based strategies to promote investment may also be accessed. The section dealing with Business and Industry offers links to material on a wide range of Government intiatives that all impact on local area's.
  • Victorian Business Centre This site outlines the Governments policy in this area and also has a manufacturing Hall of Fame detailing successful Victorian Manufacturing Enterprises. Students can also access the web network of regional business centres set up to promote local economic growth. Students can access details of policies to promote exports, UCT and biotechnology industries.

Local development Centres and Chambers of Commerce
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Local Economic development

The following sites relates to specific areas and regions and describe economic activities within them. These are useful if you are investigating local markets. Teachers need to check these before refering students to them. Some are extremely useful and others are not. They do however contain contact information that is useful for arranging speakers and excursions. Many local areas do not have chambers of Commerce and or regional development bodies.

Local Councils on the web
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These sites often carry material about markets in your local area that students may choose to investigate.

The Victorian Department of Infratsructure The DOI maintains a directory of links that is an effective gateway to councils on the Net.

A list of local councils with websites in the Victorian metropolitan region

Local Outdoor Markets

Some local outdoor markets such as Queen Victoria market and Prahran market maintain websites that are useful source of background information for students investigating these markets.
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Wholesale Markets
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Teachers who are investigating agricultural markets may wish to focus on the Melbourne wholesale market for fruit and vegetables. Excursions can be organised to the market. Their website contains a lot of useful information for students undertaking projects on this topic. A collection of related links for this market have been inlcuded below.