Early 2025, The Victoria Planning Authority (VPA) had already announced plans to recommence the Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) for Parwan Employment PSP after a long pause since 2023.
Now the planning activities have officially started. The first step is to update the biodiversity assessment for the endangered Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon (VGED). The VPA has already completed one biodiversity assessment last year after it was found that the VGED had some of its habitat spreading across Parwan Employment Precinct area.
The VPA is now updating their previous biodiversity assessment which has already begun on April this year and is scheduled through May.
The map shows the overall habitat of the VGED, and the Parwan EPZ poses minimum risk to the species.
Once the PSP is finalized, it will be Employment Zone Industrial Land.
The VPA 2024-25 Business Plan aims to develop 800,000 new homes across Victoria, with projects like the Braybrook Regeneration (10,000 homes) and developments in Ballarat, Shepparton, and Bannockburn. It also aims to create 60,000 jobs by zoning industrial land, including key precincts like Greater Avalon, Officer South, and Parwan. Additionally, the plan supports increasing housing density near transport hubs and addresses environmental concerns, with a budget of $36.6 million.
The Parwan Employment Precinct is also identified as a growth zone and estimates 50,000 residents by 2041. The plan proposes to boost the precinct’s connectivity and transportation. Major planned developments includes the Parwan Train Station and Eastern Link arterial road as per the Bacchus Marsh Urban Growth Framework prepared jointly by the VPA and Moorabool Shire Council.
In addition, 1,500 new jobs are proposed in sectors such as agriculture related industries, storage, packaging, silo, logistics, transports, meat processing, mushroom cultivation, and hydroponics and more. The Bacchus Marsh Urban Growth Framework will fully transform Parwan into an industrial hub with vast potential to absorb major agribusiness and industrial investments.