Inner West Employment Zoning

This planning scheme amendment rezoned 169 hectares of Industrial 1 Zone land to Industrial 3 Zone.  

The Industrial 1 Zone is a standard industrial zone that provides for a variety of industrial uses like warehousing, shipping container storage and transfer stations. The Industrial 3 Zone is a buffer industrial zone, suitable for creating a buffer between the Industrial 1 Zone and residential areas. It may also be applied where special consideration is required because of industrial traffic using residential roads, noise or other impacts. The Industrial 3 Zone encourages smaller format service industries that are less reliant on heavy vehicles.  

The West Gate Tunnel opened to traffic in December. The West Gate Tunnel will take thousands of trucks off residential streets in the inner west, improving safety, local air quality and noise. With new alternatives for trucks, the Victorian Government has introduced six 24-7 no –truck zones and one night time and weekend no-truck zone to ensure that trucks use the freeway and prevent rat runs through local streets. To support the removal of even more trucks off inner west streets, especially Williamstown Road and Millers Road, we have applied the Industrial 3 Zone to encourage land use change towards smaller format service industries that are less reliant on heavy vehicles.  

This planning scheme amendment will only rezone 169ha of Industrial 1 Zone land to Industrial 3 Zone. It does not introduce, extend or modify the no-truck zones. The no-truck zones are associated with a separate legislative regime, being the Road Safety (General) Amendment (No-Truck Zone) Regulations 2025. 

For more information, please use the following link: transport.vic.gov.au/no-truck-zones 

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, thereby changing the basis of planning decisions in the future. 

The opening of the West Gate Tunnel Project coincides with no-truck zones on several streets in the vicinity of the rezoning area, including Buckley Street, Francis Street and Blackshaws Road. The land’s previous zoning of Industrial 1 Zone was a standard industrial zone which accommodated a mix of industrial uses that relied on heavy truck movements that may have been affected by new no-truck zones. The Industrial 3 Zone is traditionally associated with a ‘light industrial’ character and land use mix which can operate without the need for truck types affected by the restrictions. Retention of the Industrial 1 Zone is at odds with the no-truck zones, and the rezoning allows for a better integrated land use and transport planning outcome. 

The introduction of the Industrial 3 Zone will have an impact on the land uses that can and cannot occur in the area, for example new land uses such as service industry, shop and supermarket will now be permitted. Land use change will not be immediate and is expected to happen over time. 

It will not affect the day-to-day operations of your business as you can continue to operate under existing use rights as per Clause 63 of the Victoria Planning Provisions. In fact, many use permissions are the same or very similar between the Industrial 1 Zone and the Industrial 3 Zone. If you are proposing future development or a change of use on your property, the responsible authority (Council) will assess that proposal on the merits of the Industrial 3 Zone instead of the Industrial 1 Zone. 

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) as part of the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP), will finalise the draft amendment and make recommendations to the Minister for Planning in early 2026. 

No, the rezoning will not allow for any additional residential uses to occur in the area and no residential land is proposed to be rezoned to industrial.

No, the decision to relocate is the sole decision of the business operator. 

The VPA as part of DTP, is responsible for the planning of new suburbs and renewal sites in Victoria. The Minister for Planning is the Planning Authority for this amendment GC276.   

The VPA reports to the Minister for Planning. Our key priorities include unlocking land for new homes and communities, facilitating housing diversity and affordability, job creation and better development of new communities in growing and established areas.