Signs that Moorabool town is continuing to grow

Dubbed 'Gillespies Lane', the 15.8-hectare estate was advertised by agents Biggin and Scott as potentially containing 180 lots, subject to planning approval.

While that would average a roomy 850 square-metres per property, Moorabool Mayor Tom Sullivan said internal roads and parks had to be factored in, potentially making average lots smaller.

"You won't see houses go up overnight," he said.

"There are a lot of things that have to happen first.

"It depends on what the planning scheme allows as there are areas around Ballan where you cannot subdivide a property into lots that are too small.

"You also don't know if there are any conditions of sale."

The block is listed as 'sold' on the agent's website. Expressions of interest in the sale closed mid-August.

The farming zone property is bordered by the newly-renovated Gillespies Lane - which carries traffic to the Ballan Industrial Estate, as well as Denholms and Old Geelong roads.

Depending on where you live in the estate, you'll be 200-400m away from the railway station.

The large T-shaped block also contains a perennial watercourse, a derelict agricultural building - and is subject to overlays for environmental significance, special building as well as design-and-development.

Advertising material shows a 2017 council report map with extensions to Cowie, Stead and Duncan streets as far as Gillespies Lane.

Several other roads have also been added to the map.

The map is from a 2017 Ballan Strategic Directions Plan, which called for 30m-wide road reserves to be continued - and grid-style streets that were aligned to suit drainage and scenic views.

The plan also said a park should be set aside south of the railway, as the nearest green open space along the Werribee River would be too hard to access.

It also called for 'vehicle connectivity' to be considered carefully for any homes built on the Geelong side of the railway line.

The sold land does not include Ballan's controversial monolithic geodome - or 'igloo' - which was built in 2007-08 and demolished in September 2021.

The farm-zoned property has reportedly been bought for a retirement village, but no plans for the Denholms Road development have been lodged with Moorabool Council to date.

Another nearby property - the town's former abattoir - has been described as the ideal place for Moorabool's second government secondary school.

But if the 2017 report is correct, local students will be catching buses for generations to come.

"With Ballan projected to accommodate approximately 6000 residents by 2041 (up from 3000 in 2016), it is unlikely that additional higher order facilities will be required to support the growing population," report authors said.

"While the inclusion of a secondary school would be desirable to service Ballan and the surrounding region, discussions with the Department of Education have indicated that the projected population does not warrant a secondary school within Ballan, and Ballan residents would be required to rely on secondary schools in Ballarat or Bacchus Marsh."

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