Ballarat Businesses Positioned to Lead Regional Growth

Ballarat's Gross Regional Product reached $8.3 billion in 2022-23, an increase of almost $1 billion from the prior year.

The lift coincides with population growth of 9.78 per cent between 2018 and 2023, taking the city to an estimated 118,137 residents. Health Care and Social Assistance already accounts for 21.9 per cent of the 62,005 local jobs recorded in 2022/23. These figures point to sustained demand that established operators and newer entrants can meet.

Visitor spending supports local operators

The visitor economy delivered more than $772 million to Ballarat in 2023 from 2.9 million visitors. Broader regional visitor spend reached $1.1 billion in the year to June 2024. Local businesses in hospitality, retail and services stand to capture repeat trade as the population heads toward a projected 164,365 residents by 2046.

Commerce Ballarat runs the annual August Business Festival across multiple venues and holds Biznet Breakfasts on the first Tuesday of each month except January and November. Ballarat Business Networking also stages monthly meetups at the Ballarat Leagues Club and Oscars Hotel. These events give operators direct access to peers and potential customers.

Tech and security niches expand

Accenture plans to open a technology and operations centre in Ballarat in May 2025, adding roles in application development and IT service management. Federation University and Aiculus run the annual Ballarat Cybersecurity Survey, while the Ballarat Cybersecurity Meetup convenes every two months at the Ballarat Hacker Space. Seven beginner-level cybersecurity courses are available locally, including a Certificate III in Basic Cyber Security Awareness.

Businesses can track openings through major job boards and contact Commerce Ballarat for details on upcoming networking sessions. Operators who attend the August Business Festival or the next Biznet Breakfast gain immediate exposure to the expanding local market.