Strategic Location
Ballarat is a major provincial city, strategically located in the Central Highlands Region of Victoria, 110km north-west of Melbourne. The municipality of Ballarat is 740 square kilometres and includes the rural townships of Buninyong, Miners Rest, Learmonth and Cardigan Village. It is bounded to the north by the Shire of Hepburn, to the east by the Shire of Moorabool, to the south by the Shire of Golden Plains and to the west by the Shire of Pyrenees.
Ballarat is located along the interstate rail transport corridor between Melbourne Adelaide and Perth and the new fast rail project is now complete, delivering frequent services between Melbourne and Ballarat. Melbourne International and Avalon Domestic Airports as well as the ocean ports of Melbourne and Geelong are close and access the Melbourne metropolitan areas is within easy reach.
Future expansions of the region’s transport capacity are planned with: the construction of the Deer Park Bypass ($330m, due to commence late 2006), a second Train Station ($12.5m, due for construction in 2008), and an Intermodal Freight Hub ($8.3m, due to commence 2007).