The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has knocked back Central Victorian Welding and Fabrication Pty Ltd's push to keep using a Ingham Road property.

The business has operated there for about five years, according to VCAT's ruling, though the business said it had operated there for about 10.

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CV Welding had applied to the City of Greater Bendigo for a retrospective planning permit for land zoned for farm uses but had been unsuccessful.

VCAT ruled that the land would be unsuitable even if changes were made to deal with problems like noise, traffic, amenity and environment.

The company tried to address those issues in its failed council planning permit but VCAT found that the changes "cannot and do not overcome the fundamental problem that the location is unsatisfactory".

The tribunal noted CV Welding's arguments that the business brought community benefits, including jobs for as many as 20 people at the site at a time. As many as 22 others working for the company elsewhere.

It also acknowledged the business had letters of support from 20 clients in the agricultural industry.

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But the tribunal said CV Welding did not demonstrate that enough of its clients were farmers operating in the immediate district.

It also believed the business did not add enough value to the municipality's agricultural base to meet requirements to justify keeping the business in Ingham Road.

While the planning scheme allowed industrial businesses to operate in farming zones, VCAT ruled that other areas in the Bendigo municipality had already been set aside for those sorts of land uses.

CV Welding and the council have until early next month to tell VCAT whether they have agreed on a date for operations at the Axedale site to stop.

The council has entered discussions with the company's lawyers, the city's acting director of strategy and growth Andrew Cooney said.

"The city's intention is for the timeframe to be fair and realistic, which will enable the company to transition its operations at Ingham Road Axedale to a different site in the region, before ceasing use of the land at the Axedale site," he said.

CV Welding was contacted for comment.

This story was updated at 5.45pm with additional information about the number of workers the business employs away from the Ingham Road site; and that it had disputed VCAT's conclusion that it had only operated for five years.

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