title: Draft Industrial Land Strategy Ballarat 2024 council: ballarat state: vic category: strategy classification: MAJOR status: draft last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:
- draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf
- draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.txt
- web-research-L1-employment-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt
- web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-log.txt
- web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt
Draft Industrial Land Strategy Ballarat 2024
The Draft Industrial Land Strategy is Ballarat’s main policy mechanism for deciding which industrial areas should be protected, which legacy industrial areas should be reviewed for other employment or residential-compatible uses, and where the next generation of large-format industrial land should be planned. Its core planning consequence is that Ballarat West Employment Zone remains the current regional industrial anchor, while Dowling Road Precinct is brought forward from long-term industrial growth to short-to-long-term planning, and Draffins Road Precinct is held as a possible post-15-year industrial reserve. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.42-49)
The strategy is still a draft rather than an implemented planning scheme control. The MySay project page states that initial consultation occurred in 2024, a submissions response paper is being prepared, an updated draft is expected for secondary engagement in 2026, and any planning scheme amendment depends on later Council adoption and Ministerial authorisation. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
Background
The project responds to Ballarat’s changing economy, population growth, and the need to update the 2009 Ballarat Review of Future Industrial Areas, which had recommended a further review within 10-12 years; by the strategy’s own account, that review was due in 2019. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.7)
The strategy was built from two background studies: the City of Ballarat Employment Lands Review Background Report prepared by Hill PDA in August 2021 and the Industrial Land Analysis: Supply, Demand and Precinct Planning Directions prepared by SGS Economics & Planning in April 2024. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.10-11)
The strategy focuses on Industrial 1 Zone, Industrial 3 Zone, Special Use Zone Schedule 14 for BWEZ, and Farming Zone land identified for possible future industrial conversion. It also notes that Ballarat has no Industrial 2 Zone land. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.11)
The strategy divides industrial land into two roles: regionally significant industrial land, meaning land serving wider regional or national markets and requiring larger sites and major transport connections; and locally significant industrial land, meaning land serving local and district markets, including service trades, warehousing, small-scale manufacturing, production, and some quasi-retail or recreation uses. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.7, 12)
Analysis
Regional Industrial Land Pipeline
The strategy’s central supply finding is that BWEZ is Ballarat’s only current regionally significant industrial land supply. BWEZ has 186 hectares allocated to industrial development stages, of which 26 hectares were occupied and 160 hectares were vacant in 2023. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.42-43)
The headline vacancy figure can be misleading because BWEZ vacancy is not simply idle land: in April 2024, 6 of the 10 vacant lots in Stages 1 and 1B had approved planning permits, and 2 of those permitted lots were under construction. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.43)
The strategy uses three take-up scenarios for BWEZ: 4.5 hectares per year based on 2021-2023 development rates, 6.5 hectares per year based on 2018-2020 development rates, and 11.5 hectares per year based on recent land sales. At those rates, the stated remaining zoned land supply is 36 years, 25 years, or 7 years plus a 3-5 year development and occupation lag. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.45-46)
The practical planning issue is the difference between statutory supply and market-ready supply. Under the low and medium development-rate scenarios, BWEZ appears to have a long runway; under the high sales-rate scenario, the effective pipeline tightens to the next decade because BWEZ sale contracts require development within 1-3 years of settlement and restrict long-term land holding without development. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.45)
The strategy therefore treats the 11.5 hectares-per-year scenario as a reasonable planning stress test, while acknowledging that actual occupation may lag land sales by 3-5 years. That choice is important because it is the mechanism that brings Dowling Road Precinct into short-term strategic planning rather than leaving it as a distant reserve. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.45-47)
Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road as the Main Next Supply Area
The Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road Precinct is about 445 hectares in Mitchell Park, bounded by the Western Freeway, Sunraysia Drive, McCartneys Road and Dowling Road, and lies close to Ballarat Airport, the Ballarat West Growth Area, and the Ballarat North Wastewater Treatment Plant. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.54)
The strategy estimates a gross area of 440 hectares for supply calculations, subtracting 5.6 hectares of wetlands outside flood zones, 60 hectares of flood zone land, and 26 hectares of roads, leaving an approximate net developable area of 348 hectares. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.46-47)
At the high 11.5 hectares-per-year take-up rate, the 348-hectare Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road NDA equates to about 30 years of additional regionally significant industrial supply; at the 6.5 hectares-per-year rate it equates to 53 years, and at the 4.5 hectares-per-year rate it equates to 77 years. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.47)
The mechanism is staged: the strategy itself does not rezone the land, but it recommends changing planning policy first, then preparing a framework plan, then preparing one or more precinct structure plans, and then moving to development approvals. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.7-8)
The land is currently in the Farming Zone, so industrial use requires later rezoning, and the strategy says an Urban Growth Zone may be appropriate because it manages transition from non-urban to urban land while still requiring a PSP before urban development proceeds. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.47)
Draffins Road as a Longer-Term Safeguard
The Draffins Road Precinct is about 220 hectares between Dowling Road and Draffins Road and is identified as potential future industrial land subject to further investigation rather than as the immediate next release area. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.48-49)
The strategy estimates the Draffins Road Precinct at 220 hectares gross, with 20 hectares affected by flood zone and 13 hectares required for roads, leaving an approximate net developable area of 187 hectares. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.48-49)
At the high 11.5 hectares-per-year take-up rate, Draffins Road would provide about 16 years of supply; at 6.5 hectares per year it would provide 28 years, and at 4.5 hectares per year it would provide 41 years. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.49)
The strategy’s sequencing logic is that Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road must be planned before BWEZ is depleted, while Draffins Road is identified now so that incompatible land uses do not prejudice a future industrial cluster beyond the nominal 15-year supply horizon. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.49, 86)
Local Industrial Land and Conversion Pressure
Ballarat’s locally significant industrial land totals 936 hectares, of which 774 hectares were occupied and 162 hectares were vacant. The strategy says this gives at least 14 years of locally significant industrial land supply. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.51-53)
The local supply calculation is sensitive to method: the land take-up method gives 65 years of supply at 2.5 hectares per year, the population-growth method gives 14 years at 11.5 hectares per year, and the floorspace method gives 29 years at 5.5 hectares per year. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.51)
The strategy analyses 11 selected local precincts comprising 576 lots, 647,500 square metres of gross floor area, and 478 hectares of land, which is just over half of Ballarat’s locally significant industrial land supply. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.51-52)
The largest selected local precincts by land area are Delacombe-Latrobe Street at 137.1 hectares, Delacombe Northwest at 93.9 hectares, Wendouree Station at 62.6 hectares, Delacombe Southwest at 60.4 hectares, Selkirk at 46.2 hectares, and Alfredton South at 41 hectares. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.52)
The strategy does not support wholesale removal of these 478 hectares from employment use, because that would materially reduce local industrial supply. Instead, it identifies a smaller number of constrained or fragmented precincts for land-use change or structure planning while retaining key areas for local employment functions. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.51-53)
Skipton Street and Lal Lal Street are the clearest conversion candidates because they are small, constrained by residential interfaces, and have local traffic conditions that do not generally support heavy industrial vehicle movements. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.63-64)
Ballarat East, Rodier Street, Wendouree Station, and the Latrobe Street Saleyards group are treated differently: the strategy proposes structure planning rather than simple rezoning because these areas have larger landholdings, active uses, heritage or contamination issues, transport relationships, and potential mixed employment roles. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.65-75, 88-89)
Infrastructure, Servicing and Constraint Mechanisms
The Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road Precinct is affected by Floodway Overlay and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay along the Burrumbeet Creek floodplain and contains two creek tributaries managed by the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.56)
The same precinct is partly affected by Ballarat Airport controls, including Design and Development Overlay Schedules 17 and 18, which trigger permit requirements for buildings above 5 metres or 15 metres in the affected areas, and Airport Environs Overlay Schedule 1 in the southeastern corner. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.56)
The strategy identifies three wetlands in the Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road Precinct, scattered trees, areas of Plains Grassy Woodland EVC, some good habitat value areas, and partial coverage by an Extractive Industry Interest Area. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.56)
The strategy says the Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road Precinct has limited existing services and will require key utility upgrades, including sewer, electricity and telecommunications upgrades, with gas supply still to be confirmed. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.58)
The servicing mechanism is not resolved in the draft: the document says engagement with the local water authority is required, initial discussion indicated servicing was not outside the scope of works, and utility funding is likely to be fully or partly supplied by authorities while landowners or proponents would also incur infrastructure costs. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.58)
Drainage is a material cost and staging risk because the major catchment is Burrumbeet Creek, the precinct is generally flat, and the strategy warns that drainage can be problematic and expensive in that setting. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.58)
For Draffins Road, the strategy identifies Farming Zone land, partial Floodway Overlay and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay, a small Public Acquisition Overlay area, one wetland, scattered trees, Plains Grassy Woodland EVC, bushfire-prone designation, partial Extractive Industry Interest Area coverage, and direct access from the Western Freeway or unsealed McCartneys Road. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.58-60)
The strategy’s own technical-study list shows what still has to be resolved before urban industrial development can proceed: water management, flooding, drainage, wastewater systems, waterway protection, biodiversity, safe access to the Western Freeway or other road networks, Aboriginal cultural heritage, walking and cycling links to buses and trains, and utility servicing with Central Highlands Water and Powercor. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, p.60)
Planning Scheme Implementation
The strategy’s first implementation step is local policy change, not immediate rezoning. The draft says policy should recognise Ballarat as a leading industrial and business location, identify Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road for strategic planning and rezoning, identify Draffins Road as potential future industrial land, prohibit residential uses in regionally significant industrial precincts, and implement the Industrial Land Use Framework Plan. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.92-93)
The short-term statutory pathway for Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road includes rezoning from Farming Zone and preparing one or more PSPs to resolve land use, infrastructure, and funding requirements. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.86, 92)
The strategy also proposes reviewing buffers and separation distances, considering the Buffer Area Overlay, and preparing industrial land design guidelines to improve land-use compatibility and built-form outcomes. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.87, 94)
For local precinct change, the strategy proposes a later planning scheme amendment for Skipton Street and Lal Lal Street and structure planning for Ballarat East, Rodier Street, Wendouree Station, and Latrobe Street Saleyards precincts. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.88-89, 95-96)
Consultation and Status Risk
Initial consultation on the draft strategy ran from 27 May to 12 July 2024, followed by review of feedback in August-September 2024 and release of a consultation summary and project update in November 2024. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
The MySay page summarises initial consultation as 14 written submissions, comprising 6 community submissions, 2 from the development industry, 4 from government stakeholders, and 2 from local small businesses. It identifies suitability of sites and sewage and water services as key themes. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
The project timeline now shows preparation of an Industrial Lands Submissions Response Paper and updates to the draft from late 2025 to early 2026, a second round of community engagement in 2026, further feedback review in 2026, and then presentation of the draft strategy to a Ballarat Council meeting. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
The MySay page states that Ministerial authorisation to prepare and exhibit a planning scheme amendment is to be confirmed and is subject to Council adopting the strategy. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
The planning consequence is that the 2024 draft has strategic weight as an exhibited policy direction but does not yet operate as a planning scheme amendment, rezoning control, PSP, DCP, or development approval framework. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
Current Status
The initiative is a draft strategy under revision after 2024 consultation. Council officers are preparing a submissions response paper, an updated draft is expected for secondary engagement in 2026, and planning scheme amendment exhibition would occur only after Council adoption and State Government authorisation. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
Dependencies
- Blocks: The strategy blocks clear statutory direction for Dowling Road Precinct, Draffins Road Precinct, Skipton Street, Lal Lal Street, Ballarat East, Rodier Street, Wendouree Station, and Latrobe Street Saleyards until Council settles the final framework and pursues planning scheme changes. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.86-97; Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
- Blocked by: Final policy implementation is blocked by the submissions response paper, the 2026 updated draft and secondary engagement, Council adoption, Ministerial authorisation, and any later amendment exhibition. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt)
- Informed by: The strategy is informed by the Hill PDA Employment Lands Review Background Report and the SGS Industrial Land Analysis, plus planning scheme, ABS, Forecast.id, Economy.id, planning and building applications, and agency consultation inputs. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.10-11)
- Implements: The strategy proposes implementation through local planning policy changes, the Industrial Land Use Framework Plan, precinct structure planning, potential rezoning, development contributions, buffer review, and design guidelines. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.86-97)
- Conflicts with: The main policy tensions are between protecting industrial buffers and allowing housing or mixed-use transition in legacy precincts, between preserving future regional industrial supply and existing Farming Zone/rural living conditions, and between identifying large future industrial areas and unresolved servicing, drainage, access, biodiversity and cultural heritage requirements. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.54-60, 63-78, 86-97)
Cross-Jurisdictional Links
The strategy positions Ballarat’s regional industrial role around the Western Freeway, Sunraysia Highway, regional rail, Ballarat Airport, and BWEZ, with the draft vision describing the north-west industrial lands as connected to Melbourne, Geelong, western Victoria and surrounding communities. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.1, 9, 85)
The strategy relies on coordination with state and regional infrastructure actors, including Department of Transport and Planning, the Minister for Planning, Invest Victoria, Development Victoria, Central Highlands Water, Powercor, the road authority, and the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.56-60, 92-97)
The BWEZ intermodal freight hub and Ballarat Airport Master Plan are treated as related projects that support the regional industrial function of BWEZ and future north-west industrial land. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.76, 86, 93)
Gaps in This Analysis
The available manifest includes the draft strategy text and MySay project extracts, but not the full Hill PDA Employment Lands Review, the full SGS Industrial Land Analysis as a standalone source, the detailed consultation report, agency submissions, servicing authority technical assessments, transport modelling, drainage modelling, biodiversity assessment, cultural heritage assessment, or a draft amendment package. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.10-11, 60; Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-mysay.txt; Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-log.txt)
The gap log says the standalone Strategic Context Analysis for Sunraysia Drive/Dowling Road and Draffins Road was not found, no VPA project page or technical appendix was found, no current Planning Panels Victoria report was found, no relevant current VCAT decision was found, and no Powercor or AusNet servicing assessment specific to the future industrial precincts was found. (Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-log.txt)
Because those documents are missing from the manifest, this page can identify the strategy’s intended land-use direction and major constraint categories, but it cannot quantify trunk infrastructure costs, DCP levy rates, intersection triggers, sewer augmentation timing, electricity capacity, drainage basin land take, biodiversity offset requirements, Aboriginal cultural heritage management requirements, or submission-by-submission contested issues. (Source: draft-industrial-land-strategy-ballarat-2024.pdf, pp.58-60; Source: web-research-L1-industrial-land-strategy-log.txt)