New suburb 100km from Melbourne to become home to 13k people

The Victorian government has approved plans for a new suburb in Ballarat, with four schools.

The new Ballarat North suburb will be home to more than 13,000 residents and will include two sport reserves and 7 hectares of parkland.

The suburb is a priority project for the state government and will be formally gazetted in coming days.

The Victorian government has approved plans for a new suburb in Ballarat that will become home to 13,000 residents.

The 832 hectare suburb will be built on unlocked, rezoned farmland near Mount Rowan and Miners Rest, north of the Western Freeway, about 8 kilometres north of the Ballarat CBD and 105km from Melbourne.

Ballarat is the third-largest city in regional Victoria with a population of 113,763 people.

The suburb is a priority project under the Victorian government's Housing Statement 2024-2034 and will be formally gazetted in coming days.

The City of Ballarat council said it would include almost 6,000 homes, four schools, a neighbourhood centre and generous green spaces including two sport reserves and 7.5 hectares of parkland.

Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said the approval was an important step forward for Ballarat.

"We have worked closely with the Department of Transport and Planning throughout the development of the plan and are pleased to see this important milestone reached," she said.

"Ballarat North will play a significant role in supporting our city's economic growth, creating jobs during construction and creating opportunities for future employment as the community develops," she said.

An estimated $164 million in infrastructure investment will be spent on transport, recreation and community facilities.

The council said planning would also begin on a nearby housing development north of Cummins Road, which was expected to accommodate a further 2,600 homes.