The state government is seeking community feedback on its 10-year strategy to develop Avalon Airport and its employment precinct.
Consultation is now open on the draft Greater Avalon Employment Precinct plan, which the government wants to facilitate the development of more than 3400 hectares of land into a national hub for logistics, clean-tech and recycling.
This follows the opening of a new $8 million freight processing centre in October and this month’s announcement that the airport will resume international flights from March 2026– the first time since 2020.
A new bus route between Lara Station and Avalon Airport was included in the announcement and is expected to launch in the coming months
According to the state government’s calculations, the plan will deliver capacity for 8000 new jobs and support the long-term operations of Avalon Airport– which is expected to deliver capacity for 26,500 across the overall precinct.
Located between the Princes Freeway and Port Phillip Bay, the precinct includes Avalon Airport and land at defence land at Point Wilson.
Melbourne Avalon Airport and the state government believe the location is strategically positioned to serve both regional and metropolitan Victoria, with direct access to global markets via the airport and nearby ports.
The draft planning scheme amendment – prepared in partnership with the City of Greater Geelong – includes a tailored planning response, backed by environmental safeguards for Ramsar wetlands and local biodiversity corridors.
According to the state government, the 10-year plan will deliver a pipeline of employment precincts across Melbourne’s greenfields and eventually unlock the capacity for 100,000 jobs by 2035.
Planning minister Sonya Kilkenny said the plan is to create another viable employment hub for regional and outer metropolitan areas– while slashing red tape when possible to do so.
“One in four Victorians live and work in the regions,” she said.
“That’s why we’re planning precincts like Avalon to make sure we can continue to deliver more good jobs for Victorians close to where they live.
“This is all about unlocking land, unlocking investment, and unlocking thousands of jobs.”
Submissions are open until Thursday 11 December at: engage.vic.gov.au/GreaterAvalon.
