Industry
Solutions Engaged
Objective
Analyse night time escape spending patterns in Wodonga, estimate excess escape spend, and assess its impact on local jobs.
Method
Used Spendmapp data to quantify escape spend by comparing Wodonga’s night time spending with regional benchmarks, and employed an economic impact model to estimate the potential job growth from reducing this excess spend.
Solution
Geografia was commissioned to investigate the extent of night time escape spend for the regional city of Wodonga, in Victoria, 300km NE of Melbourne. Escape spend is the economic leakage that occurs when residents spend money outside their local government area.
Using Spendmapp data, we quantified Wodonga’s overall escape spend and compared it with other regional cities across Australia. Our deep dive into spending categories allowed us to identify areas where Wodonga’s night time escape spend exceeded typical per capita levels, particularly in neighbouring municipalities.
Through the application of an economic impact model, we estimated how reducing this excess escape spend could boost local spending and create more jobs in Wodonga. The findings were used to inform the City’s strategies to activate the night time economy, keeping more residents spending locally and reducing the economic drag caused by excess leakage.
