By Mark Williams, President
As the 2025 financial year comes to a close and a new year begins, it is timely to reflect on both what has been achieved and what lies ahead. With significant changes occurring worldwide and their impacts felt across all economies—including Australia, Victoria, and Portarlington—it is clear that no region is immune to these shifts. The trading period has been difficult for many bricks-and-mortar retailers, with inconsistent patterns compared to what were once considered normal trading conditions. Development has been slow, and ongoing delays and red tape continue to hamper the local economy.
Further land banking and attempts by property developers and commercial property owners to engineer unsustainable rental price hikes are issues that need to be addressed in order to foster retail growth and support the ability of small businesses and startups to maintain sustainable, long-term trading—particularly in smaller towns like Portarlington.
On a positive note, the Qudos development in Newcombe Street, which begins this month, along with the Kiel development of factories and upmarket mancaves on Queenscliff Road, will act as catalysts for Portarlington. These projects are expected to restart a growth pattern for the town, instilling greater confidence among investors and boosting overall investment in Portarlington. It is also great to see significant construction at Panorama Estate, which is now progressing steadily.
The committee has undergone several changes and has conducted a strategic review. This process was challenging for the committee but absolutely necessary for the association to continue conducting its business into the future. The committee should be commended for their efforts during this review, especially Fraser Baker (Propeld), who contributed significantly and took the lead in this work. Also Daniel Clements (Kista Finance) who initiated a number of practical training sessions for our members.
The new structure and strategic plan will give the association the ability to move forward with initiatives and to seek funding, enabling us to offer real value to our members and develop real-time programs that can truly assist businesses on the Bellarine and members of the PBDA. This is paramount to the future of the PBDA and its members.
We also take this opportunity to thank the ongoing commitment and support of our Executive Committee members. The PBDA has no paid team members and all the achievements of the PDBA are a result of the work of its volunteers.
The PBDA committee promotes
- Advocacy: supporting outcomes which benefit our business community and our community as a whole.
- Awareness: sharing information could be beneficial to our business community.
- Education: providing opportunities for business owners and their teams to develop their skills to further enhance their businesses.
- Collaboration: to encourage and facilitate networking and support of business owners and their teams.
With these four terms, we strive to ensure they remain the focus of our actions. As noted above, we are an organisation made up solely of volunteers, and anyone who commits their time to a not-for-profit will understand the challenges involved.
At this point, I would like to thank the local member, Alison Merchant, for her support and unwavering commitment to important matters such as maintaining the continued ferry service, which is critical infrastructure for Portarlington.
Notable mentions and thank you to
- Chris Niven – Benigo Community Bank
- Alison Merchant – Member for Bellarine
- Terindah Estate
We thank you all for your ongoing support of the PBDA and look forward to achieving great outcomes during these challenging times.
I would also like to sincerely thank the Executive Committee members for their support during my tenure as President of the PBDA. Due to a number of business commitments and time pressures, I will not be seeking another term as President.
Mark Williams
President of the PBDA
