2.1.1.7. Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan

The Central Highlands Growth Plan (2014) provides a strategic framework to enable regional growth in a productive, sustainable and liveable manner. The Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan covers the municipalities of Ararat, Ballarat, Golden Plains (northern portion), Hepburn, Moorabool and Pyrenees. The Growth Plan focuses primarily on infrastructure development surrounding Ballarat. The Growth Plan highlights that growth in rural residential zones will be limited to prevent encroaching onto sensitive land uses. The plan supports higher quality regional rail connections to enable Ballarat and small towns along the route to become more accessible and attractive for growth. A key rail corridor is indicated from Ballarat, Meredith, Lethbridge, Bannockburn, and Geelong (as shown in Figure 2–2). A transport study is currently underway for the Central Highlands region which will propose initiatives to improve regional connectivity along this route.

Figure 2–2: Key economic development opportunities and assets for the Central Highlands. Source: Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan, 2014.