Milestones achieved at Ballarat West Employment Zone

04/06/2025

Three copper and silver signs shaped like plane wings at the front of the Ballarat West Employment Zone, with the precinct’s name printed in black and green. To the right of the signs a road and streetlights are visible.

Businesses looking to set up in Ballarat now have more opportunities to do so, with 55 additional hectares of industrial land unlocked at the Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ).

Backed by the Victorian Government, this builds on 100 hectares already delivered through earlier development.

BWEZ stage 2 has provided industrial land adjacent to Ballarat Airport, with sewer, drainage, gas, water, electrical and NBN connections installed, along with internal roadworks.

Simultaneous completion of the interim Liberator Drive extension means that businesses will have easier access to the airport and the regional supply chain, boosting growth and providing more job opportunities for local workers.

Both packages of work were delivered by Winslow Constructors following individual competitive tendering processes.

The completed works mean companies like Field Air and John Valves can now establish operations at BWEZ and join future tenants and companies already on site – including CHS Broadbent, Kane Transport, Luv-A-Duck, Westlab and Athlegen.

Land sales-to-date and those underway at Stage 2 are predicted to bring the total number of ongoing jobs created at BWEZ to 1,200 and will generate up to $171 million in investment.

The Victorian Government announced the initiation of BWEZ in 2015 as a $30 million joint initiative with the City of Ballarat, which invested $5 million, to support economic growth for the city over two decades.

Since then, the Government has invested more than $45 million to further develop the land for businesses. This is in addition to $12 million invested to establish the BWEZ Acacia residential land development, which sold all 92 lots in record time.

The Victorian and Australian Governments have also committed funding to deliver the precinct’s Ballarat Freight Hub.

BWEZ is on track to become the engine room for jobs and economic growth in Ballarat by developing more than 400 hectares of Crown land in stages over two decades.

BWEZ continues to be funded and delivered by Development Victoria, with RDV, Ballarat City Council and Invest Victoria attracting investors to the precinct.