New details have been revealed about a 30-year plan to develop a business park in Camperdown which will set the town up as a food and fibre powerhouse.
Corangamite Shire Council has sought feedback on its draft Camperdown Production Precinct Plan which provides a blueprint for the long-term growth and management of the industrial estate.
It also aims to address the infrastructure limitations the precinct is facing.
Deputy mayor Laurie Hickey said the initiative had already attracted interest from various companies.
"The vision is to create a precinct that will promote innovative business opportunities, particularly for the food and fibre industries which are the backbone of our shire economy," he said.
"The challenge is to make sure there is sufficient land with power, water and other services that businesses need to establish their operations."
The 45-hectare industrial area on Old Geelong Road just out of town was introduced to combat critically low land supply in 2022.
It's expected to provide businesses with development-ready land in a range of lot sizes between 2000-4000 square metres.
That's because despite being the commerce heart of the shire, many business owners had been hamstrung by the lack of land available to set up shop, especially for agricultural operations which required larger lots.
Attracting new business and farming operations is a focus of the shire's 2025 plan because it has historically recorded a static or declining population despite the town being on a key route through the south-western plains between Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool.
This, alongside its role in providing agricultural and manufacturing functions close to primary sources and farmland, provides an ideal opportunity for the town to foster industrial growth and employment.
The precinct could also be used for agri-tourism opportunities including direct-to-consumer sales, tours and education.
Therefore the draft plan is expected to set the shire up as a significant location within the state for dairy, rural processing, food production and industry.
The precinct is already home to the recently completed $5 million Camperdown Dairy milk processing facility and the proposed $30 million Australasian Solutions milk product manufacturing facility.
The consultation period for the draft plan ends on January 4 at 5pm.
The final document is expected to be adopted in early 2024.
