Yarra Ranges Council is seeking feedback from the community on its Draft Council Plan for 2025-2029, as well as Draft Asset Plan 2025-2035 and Draft Long-Term Financial Plan 2025-2035.
The draft plans were approved to be put to the public for feedback at the Tuesday 8 July Council meeting.
Yarra Ranges Council Mayor and O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child said he was pleased to say that this has been the most comprehensive engagement project in the 12 years he’s been on council, involving thousands of community members over a 15-month period.
“Council owns about $2 billion worth of assets from the footpath you walk along to 75% of the roads you drive on, our community buildings and sporting pavilions to the parks, open spaces, playgrounds and trails that keep you healthy and active, connected,” he said.
“These strategic documents deliver what our community told us are their priorities, whilst responsibly sustaining our financial position and managing assets,”
“We want Yarra Ranges to continue being a great place to live, work, and enjoy, while delivering value for money and quality service and infrastructure for our diverse community.”
Yarra Ranges residents can provide feedback into the three plans via shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/yarra-ranges-shape-your-future or attending any of the council’s Pop-Up events which can also be found on the Shaping Yarra Ranges page.
Here are the details for the upcoming pop-up events around the region:
Sunday 13 July 9am to 2pm in Belgrave, at the Big Dreams Market (Reynolds Lane)
Wednesday 16 July 10am to 2pm in Monbulk, at the Aquatic Centre (Baynes Park Road)
Thursday 17 July 10am to 2pm in Lilydale, at the Regional Museum (Castella Street)
Sunday 3 August 9am to 2pm in Menzies Creek, at the Winter Market (Menzies Creek Hall)
Tuesday 5 August, 10.30am to 12.30pm in Warburton, at the ADRA Redwood Centre
Deputy Mayor and Chirnside Ward Councillor Richard Higgins said the opportunity for feedback from the community was the most important thing.
“I just encourage everybody in the community to have a read, some of the documents you may or may not like, but some of them are long too, I appreciate that, but if you have an expertise, a passion or just a general interest, please have a read and give us some feedback,” he said.
“Good, bad or indifferent, we’re more than happy to get all that feedback and hopefully we won’t have to make too many changes, but if we do, thank you.”
Yarra Ranges Council have identified four strategic objectives for the council plan: healthy connected communities, protected and enhanced natural environment, quality infrastructure and liveable places and prosperous community and vibrant economy.
In regards to the asset plan, Yarra Ranges Council is expecting to spend $520 million in capital expenditure (renewal, upgrading and creation of new assets) and a further $621 million in operational expenditure (maintenance and operations of new and existing assets).
In regards to the Long-Term Financial Plan, the council is forecasting to grow the operating surplus over the next two years up to $17,568,000 by 2026/27 before a large dip (due to the renewal of a number of major programs) over the next two years to $9,137,000 by 2028/29 before incrementally rising over the following years to a forecasted operating surplus of $19,722,000 by 2034/39.
Billanook Ward Councillor Tim Heenan said he is very pleased that they have brought a lot more people into the fold at the very start of this document, particularly the focus groups.
“I know that we have our little soirees out at different community events, which are good, but I’d like to see a multitude of people in a room in a public realm environment where they can speak freely, whether they want to speak in a positive or negative way,” he said.
“We need to hear that as a council, and that fed into the start of this document… it has been enhanced more so this year than any other year.”
The council’s pre-draft engagement included over 700 survey responses, 213 postcards completed, 9582 visits to the project’s Shaping Page by 4435 people, nine pop-up events involving over 800 community members, 135 attendees at three Community and Stakeholder Summits, over 400 expressions of interest for the Deliberative Community Panel, 40 panel members selected by an independent consultant for the Deliberative Community Panel, three workshops to discuss and debate Council priorities and challenges, over 10 Focus Groups with 20 key population groups and speaking to 50 young people from six local secondary schools.
Lyster Ward Councillor Peter McIlwain said he’s becoming very encouraged by the fact that they’re on a journey with policy development.
“One of the things that I’m looking to see and I’ve been seeing throughout this process is how council is wanting to take the learnings from past policy processes and build them into making better policy in the future, and I look forward to working with my fellow councillors and executives on that very task,” he said.
Feedback is open from Wednesday 9 July to Sunday 10 August 2025.
