Committee for Ballarat chair Judy Verlin said job creation, an emphasis on new technology and positioning the Ballarat West Employment Zone as a unique opportunity were high on theagenda.

“We had a really positive conversation with the premier and he was interested in what were the priority projects,” she said.

“He was interested in the projects that were going to be game-changers.”

Attending the sit-down, which went for more than an hour, were leaders from key Ballarat sectors including the Australian Industry Group, Ballarat City Council, Commerce Ballarat, Federation University, Sovereign Hill and Ballarat Health Services.

Ms Verlin said each representative had an opportunity to put their views forward.

She said the conversation about Ballarat’s expected population growth was now over and accepted and the focus had turned to how the city would get ahead of the game.

“It’s all positioned around Ballarat being a regional service hub and capital city of the western region,” Ms Verlin said.

She said there were constant references to the Ballarat Regional Capital Plan and the projects it would deliver.