BWEZ to bring more jobs

STAGE two civil works and the extension of Liberator Drive have been completed at the Ballarat West Employment Zone, or BWEZ.

The project was completed by Winslow Constructors and included the creation of internal roads, drainage, power and communications.

The area includes 22 lots for businesses and approximately half of these have been contracted.

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Victoria and Member for Eureka Michaela Settle, Member for Ripon Martha Haylett and City of Ballarat mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves visited the site last week to celebrate the completion.

“That opens up another 77 hectares for businesses to come in and invest in Ballarat,” Ms Settle said.

“We are also celebrating the completion of Liberator Drive and what that does is really make that connection to the airport.

“That will bring people in, in the full knowledge that they can move their goods and services around Victoria.”

BWEZ is expected to bring 1200 jobs and $171 million to the region with future tenants to join companies already on site such as Kane Transport, Luv-A-Duck and Westlab.

BWEZ is a partnership between the State Government and the City of Ballarat that was announced in 2015 as a 20-year project.

At this time the State Government contributed $25 million, and the City of Ballarat allocated $5 million to the project.

The State Government has since committed more than $45 million to developing the land as well as $12 million to create the BWEZ Acacia Residential Land Development.

“The City of Ballarat is really happy to work with the State Government on this really important investment for Ballarat,” Cr Hargreaves said.

Funding for the area’s Ballarat Freight Hub has also been committed by State and Federal Governments.