Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct

The Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct (BREP) is an important part of the Victorian Government’s strategy to address population growth, housing and employment demands. It is supported by the Greater Bendigo Industrial Land Development Strategy which sets out a strategic framework for the development of land and facilitation of investment to support industrial and employment growth in Bendigo. 

The VPA (now formerly part of the Department of Transport and Planning) has prepared a planning scheme amendment for the BREP, which rezones the precinct from Farming Zone to Industrial 1 Zone (INZ1) and the applies a Development Plan Overlay. 

The BREP will deliver 206 hectares of industrial land at full build out and provide access to around 3000 jobs. The precinct is directly south of the Marong Township and is bordered by the Wimmera Highway, Calder Alternative Highway, O’Sullivans Road and Cemetery Road 

A planning scheme amendment (PSA) involves either a change to a planning scheme map, a change to the written part of the scheme, or both.

Amendments to a planning scheme can have significant planning implications as they change the way land can be used or developed, which changes the basis of planning decisions in the future.

The VPA is facilitating a whole-of-government approach which includes consulting with all relevant stakeholders, including state government agencies, council, landowners, the Registered Aboriginal Party and local residents and businesses.

For more detail on the planning process to date, including the extensive research and analysis that has been undertaken, visit the Supporting Documentation tab on the Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct project page.

A Development Plan Overlay (DPO) is a planning tool used to implement a plan to guide the future use and development of land. It provides certainty about the nature of the use or development before a permit under the zone can be granted.

A development plan prepared under a DPO sets out the preferred land use and development outcomes for a site. It identifies the necessary services and infrastructure required to support development, ensuring that large parcels of land are delivered in a coordinated and integrated manner.

Development plans are prepared by the landowner (or development proponent), and once approved, all planning permit applications must generally comply with the endorsed development plan.

The project commenced as a VPA-led Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) process, supported by a comprehensive suite of background technical studies. While a full PSP provides a detailed and prescriptive framework, over time it became evident that a more tailored approach would better suit the employment-focused nature of the BREP.

As planning progressed, it was determined that an alternative pathway would deliver greater flexibility, efficiency and alignment with investment readiness, while still maintaining strategic and environmental oversight. The transition from a PSP to an alternative planning pathway, includes:

• Continuation of PSP technical background studies to underpin the amendment.
• Introduction of local planning policy to articulate the strategic intent across the precinct.
• Application of a Development Plan Overlay (DPO) to guide subdivision staging, infrastructure delivery, and design outcomes.
• Rezoning to Industrial 1 Zone (INZ1) to establish a permissive industrial land-use framework.

This approach ensures there is no loss of evidentiary basis or continuity in planning rigour. Instead, it streamlines statutory planning processes, enhances delivery certainty, and provides a fit-for-purpose planning framework that supports the industrial focus of the precinct.

The Greater Bendigo Industrial Land Development Strategy (GBILDS) provides a 30-year framework for industrial land supply identifying priority projects to address a shortage of large, serviced industrial lots in Greater Bendigo. It emphasises coordinated planning, infrastructure sequencing and market readiness to maintain Bendigo’s competitiveness in attracting industrial investment.

Within the GBILDS, the BREP has been identified as the highest priority for short- to medium-term industrial land delivery. Please refer to the website of Amendment C282gben Industrial Land Development Strategy.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is a State Government statutory authority within the Department of Transport and Planning that reports to the Minister for Planning. The VPA is responsible for planning new suburbs and renewal sites in Victoria. 

On the request of the City of Greater Bendigo (CoGB), the Minister for Planning appointed the VPA to lead the BREP project from conception to finalisation. 

Throughout the project, we  worked closely with the CoGB, State Government agencies, local community members, and landowners to ensure the plan considered and reflected their input.

Now the Amendment is approved, CoGB will become the responsible authority for assessing and endorsing development plans. 

As the CoGB is a significant landowner within the BREP and Development Victoria commissioned by the CoGB to undertake the studies, a Probity Plan has been developed with governance arrangements which include:

• VPA as independent Planning Authority.
• A Project Charter and Governance Plan (publicly available).
• Conflict of interest declarations and transparent consultation.
• An independent probity health check documented in the Background Report.

Please refer to the detailed Project Charter and Governance Framework Plan for further information.

As both a major landowner within BREP and the municipal authority, the City of Greater Bendigo and the Victorian Planning Authority recognise the importance of carefully managing any potential conflicts of interest.

The VPA-led BREP program has been designed with strong probity measures.

These include:

• The VPA being appointed as the Planning Authority to lead precinct planning for BREP.
• Independent technical experts providing advice.
• Engagement with key government agencies.
• Public access to technical reports on the VPA project webpage.
• Open and inclusive community consultation and engagement.
• An independent review through the Planning Panels Victoria hearing process.

To ensure transparency, the City of Greater Bendigo also participates in two clearly separated roles:

• As the municipal authority – providing statutory planning and strategic advice
• As a landowner – engaged at the same stage as other landowners, with different staff representing this role to avoid conflicts of interest

To further strengthen integrity across the project, the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) have jointly appointed a Probity Officer to oversee alignment with the established probity plan.

The site of the BREP was identified through a City of Greater Bendigo Expression of Interest (EOI) process, which assessed around 600 potential sites before confirming a 294-hectare area south of Marong as the preferred location. To advance the project, the City acquired 155 hectares of land within the precinct through voluntary negotiations, with the balance remaining in private ownership. Please refer to the website: https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/about-us/projects/bendigo-regional-employment-precinct

The BREP has been identified in a suite of planning documents and technical studies as a new priority industrial area to address the shortage of large serviced industrial lots in Greater Bendigo. These include:

• Plan for Victoria highlights the importance of planning for jobs and industrial land at a state level, with the BREP recognised as a key opportunity to deliver regional employment land.
• Plan Greater Bendigo which recognised the need for a diverse range of employment options through ensuring sufficient supply of commercial and industrial land.
• Greater Bendigo Industrial Land Strategy which identified the BREP as being a high priority for meeting the regions industrial lands supply needs. This was due to its capacity to deliver large industrial lots which were not constrained by a proximity to sensitive land uses (residential) and being located along existing and planned road networks.
• Marong Township Structure Plan which identified the BREP should be subject to detailed investigation regarding its future use as an industrial employment area due to its access to key transport routes, limited constraints and land ownership pattern.