The Avalon Corridor constitutes the large extent of land located between Geelong and Werribee including the township of Little River and part of the township of Lara. The Avalon Corridor covers approximately 30 000 hectares of land and is illustrated in Figure 1.

Project aims:

To prepare a Framework Plan to guide land use and development in the Avalon Corridor to 2050 and to identify:

• Land to be protected for its environmental cultural and landscape values.
• Land with capacity to be developed for infrastructure and other complementary employment generating uses.
• Issues and opportunities such as land capability and national and state infrastructure planning.
• Measures required to maintain a green break between Melbourne and Geelong.

The key project tasks have included:

• Desktop review of existing strategic work which either broadly or specifically considers the future land use and development potential of the Avalon Corridor.
• Examination of opportunities and constraints within the Avalon Corridor with a view to define areas capable of being developed and areas to be retained as green break to delineate a break between Melbourne and Geelong and to protect the area’s significant views grassland and wetland habitat areas and cultural heritage.
• Engagement with government and other major stakeholders including Melbourne Water Avalon Airport Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and other major landowner interests to inform the preparation of the Framework Plan to guide the future development of the corridor.
• Development of a Framework Plan suitable for inclusion in the Wyndham & Greater Geelong Planning Schemes.

Key matters the Avalon Corridor Strategy seeks to address include:

• Provide direction on suitable future land uses including areas suitable for development and those that should be protected.
• Outline high level infrastructure commitments.
• Address buffer or separation issues (as appropriate).
• Define issues that need to be addressed by development proponents.

As a Land Use Framework Plan the Strategy sits at the highest level of the Victorian planning hierarchy and guides subsequent planning processes such as Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) development. It is intended for key aspects of the Strategy to be incorporated both into the State and Local Planning Policy Framework and for the Strategy itself to be designated as a background document.