SITE AND DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS
Q. Where are the boundaries of the Employment Zone?
The site is bound by Sturt Street / Remembrance Drive to the south, the Ring Road and Learmonth Road to the east, McCartney’s Road to the north and privately owned land to the west.
Q. Why was this location selected for the Employment Zone?
The Employment Zone site has been earmarked for industrial development for over 12 years and was confirmed via Council’s Industrial Land Use Strategy in 2009, a strategic and well considered planning process. The site is located on the western edge of Ballarat approximately 7 kilometres from the Central Business District, has good access to transport infrastructure such as the State road network, Ballarat Airport and the rail network and is located in Ballarat’s growth corridor.
Q. What type of zoning will be applied to the Employment Zone?
The City of Ballarat has not yet determined the most appropriate zoning for the Employment Zone. The zoning, along with other planning controls for the area will be drafted by Council and State Government based on the findings of the Master Planning process. Following the completion of the Master Plan, Council will undertake a Planning Scheme Amendment which includes consultation with the broader community, businesses and government departments.
The future land use zone and / or zones will be used to provide for a range of industry uses and development which may include manufacturing along with a diverse range of other employment opportunities reflecting the multiple business types that will be located in the precinct.
Q. Why is more industrial land required in Ballarat when there seems to be so much vacant land around?
Additional industrial land is required in Ballarat’s west in order to increase the economic strength of Ballarat and to provide employment opportunities for new residents in the area. Council has forecast that Ballarat will drop below the acceptable threshold of industrial land supply by 2015. We need to plan now to provide certainty to potential investors and ensure the future of Ballarat’s business community.
Much of Ballarat’s existing industrial zoned land is constrained by being located close to more sensitive uses such as residential areas. The BWEZ is a large parcel of land that allows for appropriate buffers.
Q. How will it affect the value of existing industrial land?
The value of land is generally determined by a range of varying factors, mainly supply and demand. Council is aware of this issue and will consider and address land values during the development of the Master Plan.
Q. Who will develop the land?
This is still being determined. This matter will be considered further via the Development Strategy which is being prepared alongside the Master Plan. It is unlikely that Council will be the developer of the land.
Q. Who owns the land now and who will own it in the future?
The land is currently owned by Council and the State Government. The future ownership is not yet known. This matter will be considered further via the Development Strategy which is being prepared alongside the Master Plan.
Q. What will be the effect on Winter Swamp?
The Winter Swamp is not included in the BWEZ area. However, some of the land surrounding the Winter Swamp is captured within the BWEZ.
The environmental ecology of the area and the sensitivity of nearby plant and animal habitats are being considered through the technical assessment phase of the Master Plan. The technical study assessed the existing conditions and made recommendations to ensure the environmentally sensitive plant and animal habitat in the swamp is protected through the use of an appropriate sized buffer of land which will be retained between the swamp and the BWEZ.
Q. The site can become waterlogged during rainy periods, has Council considered this?
Yes, the stormwater and flooding issues in the area have been assessed as part of the technical assessment phase of the BWEZ Master Plan. As part of the development of the BWEZ, a range of stormwater management tools and assets such as retention and retarding basins, rainwater tanks and wetlands will be installed to minimise water-logging, flood risks and optimise reuse opportunities for stormwater.
Q. How will it affect the airport?
The BWEZ Master Plan does not include determining the land use at the airport. This is looked after by a separate Airport Master Plan which is currently underway. The BWEZ Master Plan process aims to ensure the future development of the site, provides the airport with positive economic benefits, without impacting on the ability of the airport to operate.
Q. What will be the impact on my home, noise, emissions, traffic, and value?
As part of the Master Plan process for the Employment Zone, technical background studies that fully characterise the existing and proposed future conditions have been undertaken.
The Master Plan will highlight potential amenity impacts such as noise, emissions and traffic and seek to minimise the impacts of these through the appropriate location of industry uses within the site, along with suitable landscaping, buffers and visual screening between existing residential areas and the new employment zone. These measures will reduce impacts on the surrounding residential areas including potential impacts to property values.
Q. How does it fit with the new arterial road?
The proposed Western Link Road will run alongside the Employment Zone and will provide improved access for the area, including freight linkages with Melbourne and other regions. The Western Link Road access points are also key to ensuring efficient access to the BWEZ while maintaining or improving access to nearby residents and airport users.