KPMG partner and demographer Bernard Salt spoke about the municipality's "incredible" potential at a Monash Business Awards breakfast last Wednesday.

Mr Salt said Monash was "Melbourne's suburban heartland" because of its central geographic positioning and the completion of projects such as EastLink, which made it more accessible to outer suburbs.

According to the 2006 census, 88,000 jobs were located in Monash yet only 74,000 residents were employed, he said.

"This means Monash imports jobs and that there are more workers coming into Monash than there are worker-residents in Monash.

"That only happens in a couple of municipalities across Melbourne and it means Monash is a job magnet."

Mr Salt said compared to the 2001 census, there was a 40per increase in the number of local jobs in the area.

"There are only two places outside the central suburbs that have anywhere near that degree of attraction: Dandenong and Monash."

The Minders Building & Garden Care and 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd have been named as the newest nominees for the Monash Business Awards 2008-09.

The next awards event will be an April 22 lunch at the Mulgrave Country Club. Details: 95183587 or www.monashbusinessawards.asn.au