The Greater Avalon Employment Precinct (GAEP) is an important part of the Victorian Government’s strategy to address population growth, housing and employment demands. 

The VPA is preparing a planning scheme amendment for the GAEP. This draft Amendment is a package that includes the Avalon Framework Plan and Development Plan Overlay to GAEP West.  

The draft Amendment aims to deliver capacity for approximately 8,000 new jobs of an estimated 26,500 jobs at full build out of GAEP (including Avalon Airport).    

It represents a significant opportunity for coordinated economic and employment growth in Victoria’s west. The precinct is on land located between the Princes Freeway and Port Phillip Bay, and is adjacent to Avalon Airport and Point Wilson. The precinct is expected to deliver jobs across advanced manufacturing, logistics, clean-tech and circular economy sectors. The precinct also supports long-term planning for Avalon Airport’s operations and environmental safeguards for Ramsar wetlands and biodiversity corridors. 

A planning scheme amendment 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, businesses, Traditional Owners and local residents. 

For more detail on the planning process to date, including the extensive research and analysis that has been undertaken, visit the Supporting Documentation section on the GAEP project page. 

A 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 is a planning tool which implements preferred outcomes and identifies necessary service and infrastructure requirements to facilitate development of a large parcel of land in a coordinated and integrated manner.  

The development plan will be undertaken by a development proponent and any planning permit must be ‘generally in accordance’ with the approved development plan.  

The Minister for Planning has the final say to approve applications made under the Development Plan Overlay for Greater Avalon.  

Key themes from the previous engagement are:  

• Protecting the Ramsar wetlands, coastal saltmarsh, and downstream ecosystems from stormwater runoff 
• Responding to flooding, sea level rise and biodiversity constraints. 
• Ensuring development is compatible with Avalon Airport operations and future expansion 
• Leveraging the precinct’s location for advanced manufacturing, logistics and circular economy industries 

For more detail on the planning process to date, visit the Supporting Documentation on the GAEP project page. 

The GAEP has three sub-areas: GAEP West, Avalon Airport and GAEP North. The VPA is only planning to make changes for GAEP West at the moment.   

GAEP North is not included in the current draft planning scheme amendment, it will remain Farming Zone. This was flagged with landowners and developers in mid-2025.  

The VPA cannot go ahead with GAEP North now because further investigations are needed to resolve complex drainage issues, biodiversity constraints and upgrades to Beach Road Interchange. A detailed economics assessment has also found that with GAEP West (and Airport land coming online) there is enough industrial land to meet medium-term demand.  

The VPA has engaged the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) to produce a Cultural Values Assessment (CVA), which identifies the cultural heritage values associated with the precinct. This is not completed yet.  

WTOAC are the Registered Aboriginal Party for the lands on which the Greater Avalon Employment Precinct is located. Greater Avalon is part of an active cultural landscape, with connections to the Wadawurrung People and their creation stories.  

The VPA is working closely with the WTOAC, who have provided advice to progress with the planning in the most appropriate way to minimise the impacts on the local area. The VPA is including requirements in the Development Plan Overlay for those needing a planning permit to provide technical reports that show how they respond to areas of aboriginal cultural values. 

The precinct is informed by detailed environmental assessments, including habitat mapping and analysis of protected species and ecosystems. 

Measures are put in place to avoid or offset impacts on biodiversity and sensitive areas as much as possible, including Ramsar wetlands and coastal habitats.  

The precinct design will also include strategies for managing stormwater and protecting natural waterways. 

There are two ESOs in the precinct. As part of the draft amendment, the VPA is removing the ESO schedule 4 (ESO4) which relates to Grasslands within the Werribee Plains Hinterland. The removal of the ESO4 has been informed by extensive technical reviews and on ground assessment of the status of any significant vegetation present on site.   

Where the ESO4 is proposed for removal, the draft amendment ensures that the environmental objectives of this overlay remain addressed across the precinct. It does this by rezoning most of the ESO4 to a Rural Conservation Zone (RCZ) and applying a Native Vegetation Precinct Plan (NVPP) to guide the retention and removal of vegetation across the precinct.  

No changes are proposed to the ESO2 which relates to High Value Wetlands and associated habitat protection. 

The GAEP has been planned to safeguard and protect Ramsar wetlands and areas of biodiversity significance. This includes internationally significant migratory birds and other important flora and fauna around the precinct. The Development Plan Overlay ensures only appropriate development can happen. 

Technical assessments have informed buffers, conservation areas and surface water management. The Ramsar wetlands and Avalon Coastal Reserve will continue to be protected as the precinct develops.  

Flood modelling has been undertaken to assess the impact of sea level rise, overland flow paths, and climate change. 

Land use planning and infrastructure design will be guided by these assessments to avoid high flood risk areas and ensure that development does not increase flood impacts elsewhere. 

Water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) will be a key tool for managing flood risk and improving water quality. 

The GAEP is southwest of the Western Grassland Reserve. Areas of native grasslands have been identified in GAEP West. The VPA has been conducting ecological surveys to understand what species are located in GAEP West, and on other parts of the site, and what will need to be protected.  

The Native Vegetation Precinct Plan (NVPP) for GAEP West will apply a holistic, landscape-wide approach to retaining and removing native vegetation.  

The planning approach embeds sustainability through integrated water management and preserving high value ecological habitat. Green spaces and vegetation will play a key role in creating a climate-adaptive employment precinct. 

Protecting the air and water quality is top priority. The precinct will use the Industrial 1 Zone and relevant planning scheme provisions to ensure uses adhere to environmental standards. The VPA is not using the Industrial 2 Zone, which provides for heavier industrial uses.  

Transport modelling is being undertaken as part of the planning process. This includes creating a traffic model to identify impacts, determine key road, intersection and freeway interchange upgrades, and connections to major arterials. 

The Development Plan Overlay requires traffic impacts to be further assessed to ensure development does not compromise local road networks, and that it provides for active and public transport options. 

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. The VPA is the designated planning authority for draft Amendment C477ggee meaning that it is responsible for this Amendment. 

The Minister for Planning has appointed the VPA to lead this project from conception to finalisation. Throughout the project, we will work closely with the City of Greater Geelong, State Government agencies, local community members, and landowners to ensure the plan considers and reflects their input. 

The City of Greater Geelong will be consulted throughout the Amendment process and can make submissions to the Amendment.  

The State government will be the responsible authority for the approval of the development plan required by the Development Plan Overlay. 

The precinct is 100% funded by third parties. Third Party Funding Agreements are a contract between the VPA and a ‘third party’ (typically the landowner) to formalise funding arrangements. Typically, costs to fund a precinct are undertaken on a per hectare basis (i.e. the larger your landholding, the more it will cost.) 

The Greater Avalon Employment Precinct will align with the Avalon Corridor Strategy (2022). This means planning for a site that provides industrial and commercial opportunities and responds appropriately to the context of Avalon International Airport and the rest of the corridor strategy area.   

Any person, including residents, landowners and other affected community members, can make a written submission on draft Amendment C477ggee and accompanying documents. 

The draft Amendment and supporting documents are publicly available free of charge on the VPA’s project webpage and on the Engage Victoria webpage under the Documents section.  

Contact the team if you would like to receive translated copies of any material via GAEP@transport.vic.gov.au   

Submissions must be received by Thursday 11 December at 5pm.  

Submissions received after this date may not be considered by the VPA and will be assessed to determine how or if they can be considered. 

Submissions on Amendment C477ggee must be made in writing to the VPA via the submissions form on this page or by post. 

Post:     Victorian Planning Authority
c/- Greater Avalon Employment Precinct
GPO Box 2392
Melbourne VIC 3001 

We have prepared a How to Make a Submission guide to help you navigate making a submission on a planning scheme amendment. You can access it on the Documents section on the Engage Victoria webpage or on the VPA webpage.  

Submissions provided to the VPA are part of an open public process where all parties affected by the planning scheme can provide input into the draft amendment. 

If you choose to make a submission, you consent to your submission being made public, and being identified as the author of the submission. 

Your submission will be made available for public inspection on the VPA website until two months after gazettal of the resulting planning scheme amendment and will also be made available to relevant Ministers and local councils, and other involved government agencies. 

If you are a private individual, your personal information will be removed from your submission before it is released to parties outside government or local councils. Contact details do not include the address of land which is the subject of your submission. 

By making a submission, you also give permission for copyright material to be copied and made public. 

You can contact the VPA project team Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm via: 

• Sarah Ancell (Strategic Planning Manager) on 03 9651 9600 

You can also email the team via GAEP@transport.vic.gov.au  

Once a submission is made to the VPA, you will receive a notice to acknowledge it has been received. 

After the consultation period ends, VPA staff will review all submissions received. As part of this process, VPA staff may contact submitters as required to further discuss their submission and any changes sought. 

If required, draft Amendment C477ggee may be subject to the VPA Projects Standing Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC has been established to provide independent advice on draft planning scheme amendments to the VPA and the Minister for Planning. 

While the VPA will seek to resolve issues raised by submitters, following the public consultation process, the Minister for Planning will be advised of the outcomes and provided with options to resolve submissions, including, but not limited to, referral to the SAC. If so, submitters will be contacted regarding next steps, process, and timing.