The Fishermans Bend Employment and Innovation Area (Fishermans Bend EIA) is identified in Plan for Victoria. At 230 hectares, the EIA is also the largest precinct within Fishermans Bend.
The precinct has been synonymous with innovation and ingenuity in Australia’s manufacturing and industrial history, and that proud tradition is set to continue.
By the 2050s it is envisaged that the precinct will be home to at least 40,000 jobs and over 20,000 students and be internationally renowned as a centre for innovation in advanced manufacturing, engineering and design.
Advancing Manufacturing - the Fishermans Bend Opportunity presents this bold vision for the EIA and proposes five strategic key moves to guide the precinct’s economic, cultural and place transition over the coming years and decades.
Read the document here:
At the core of the economic vision for the precinct is that it remains a place centred around physical production, a place where the best of what Melbourne makes can be showcased and celebrated.
This bold vision builds from the strong foundations laid by industry over generations, with the precinct already home to global industry giants including Boeing and Siemens, alongside a major Department of Defence site for innovation, science, and technology.
The future University of Melbourne’s Engineering and Design innovation campus,and the $197.7m funding committed to rejuvenate the former General Motors Holden site, presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what manufacturing means in 21st century Australia.
To give effect to the vision presented in Advancing Manufacturing, interim planning controls have been introduced for the Fishermans Bend EIA to guide new development and implement the long-term vision. These interim controls will be in place until the detailed precinct plan and permanent controls are finalised.
The Draft Employment and Innovation Area Precinct Implementation Plan (2026), was released for public consultation on Wednesday 7 October 2026. After the consultation period ends, the Fishermans Bend Team will review all submissions and consider next steps.
It proposes a coordinated and phased approach to the precinct’s transformation by 2050, including a future urban structure, planning controls and design guidance to achieve the vision for the precinct.
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