Tuesday, 21 May 2019 

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be invested to redevelop the iconic Ford site in Broadmeadows as part of an economic development strategy outlined today by Broadmeadows MP, Frank McGuire.

“We’re bringing new industries and jobs back to where they are needed most,” Mr McGuire said.

I’m delighted to welcome a $500 million investment for stage one of this urban renewal project that will deliver a hub for businesses, innovative technology and jobs for blue and white collar workers.

The Australian Government has also made a commitment to a City Deal for Melbourne’s North West region to accelerate growth and job creation in one of Australia’s fastest growing regions. “These two initiatives combined offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to revitalise one of Australia’s economic engine rooms,” Mr McGuire said.

The Ford Motor Company has sold a large part of its sites at Broadmeadows and Geelong to the Pelligra

Group. Ford will retain its research, design and engineering footprint. The new sites, to be named ASSEMBLY Broadmeadows and FORTEK Geelong, will be subdivided with Pelligra buying the former manufacturing facilities. Pelligra has committed an initial $500 million for stage one of this urban renewal project and estimates that up to 2,000 jobs will be delivered initially across the sites, mainly in technology and new business.

ASSEMBLY Broadmeadows and FORTEK Geelong, together with Ford’s former casting plant site, occupy a combined area of 100 hectares, and include more than 265,000 square meters of factory floor. Pelligra will retrofit the existing infrastructure to accommodate manufacturing and innovative technology businesses, with the first tenants anticipated to be on site within a year.

Ford has previously reinvested hundreds of millions of dollars making the Broadmeadows site its centre of excellence for innovation in the Asia-Pacific region. Ford will retain its research, design and engineering sites in Broadmeadows and Geelong as well as the You Yangs Proving Ground at Lara, where approximately

1,600 of Ford Australia’s workforce of more than 2,000, design and develop vehicles for Australia and internationally. Ford will also invest more than $500 million this year into research and development in Australia, directly supporting its operations in Broadmeadows, Geelong and Lara.

The Australian Government’s commitment to developing a North West Melbourne City Deal is vital for future planning, investment and to accelerate economic development. 

Mr McGuire said: “I first called for a City Deal in the 2016 strategy Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope and have continued to campaign for this plan for Melbourne’s Northern and Western suburbs in the 2018 report Building Smarter Cities: Stronger Communities, and as chairman of the Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board.”

BroadmeadowsMedia Release