October 2023 Council Meeting wrap

Last updated on 27 October 2023

A number of important items were endorsed by Council at this week’s Council Meeting, including:

Environment Group Support Grants and Annual Environment Report: Following a revised grants process and a call for applications noted at the July 2023 Council Meeting, 15 different Landcare, Friends groups or networks will benefit from close to $60,000 worth of funding through the annual Environment Group Support Grants.

Alongside recipients of Landcare and Environmental Friends Group Support Funding (up to $800) and the Strategic Weed Partnership Program (up to $1,500), nine unique community projects will become a reality through the new Biolink Boost Grant (up to $5,000), co-funded with Macedon Ranges Community Enterprises Limited and Bendigo Bank.

Also tabled was the Annual Environment Report 2022-23, which outlines Council’s progress towards achieving the vision and the objectives of the Environment Strategy. Some of the key highlights include the adoption of the Counting Down to Zero plan, more than 22,000 natives planted along priority waterways and a reduction of 7.5 per cent to the total amount of kerbside general waste.

Woodend Flood Study: Following initial community consultation in 2020, Council is presenting an interim report for the Woodend Flood Study, to share detailed flood modelling and information with the Woodend community.

A key action item for Council from the North Central Regional Floodplain Management Strategy, the flood study will provide updated flood information for use by various stakeholders for land use planning, flood management planning, emergency response and flood education.

Council will be providing detailed information on the flood study on its website, with an information session to be held on Monday 27 November and one-on-one sessions available on Wednesday 29 November, to discuss any questions or concerns with Council officers and subject matter experts.

Reconciliation Action Plan update: Since being endorsed at the September 2021 Council Meeting, Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has resulted in 50 valuable actions being completed to support better outcomes with the three Traditional Owner Groups and First Nations Peoples more broadly across the shire.

In collaboration with officers across Council and key external stakeholders, key RAP actions already achieved include championing activities around key events such as National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, to implementing organisational processes such as Acknowledgement of Country protocols and recognition in email signatures.

Following consultation with Reconciliation Australia, an extension of the RAP to June 2024 was also endorsed, providing more time for Council to progress the plan’s remaining 13 outstanding actions.

--

In other matters, Council endorsed both the discontinuance and transfer of Jackson Street in Macedon and the closure of Raglan Street – at the intersection of Chauncey Street – in Lancefield, in consideration of feedback through earlier community consultations.

Council also noted and endorsed the Annual Report 2022-23, which highlights details of our financial outcomes, operations, achievements, challenges and performance measures again the Council Plan throughout the last financial year. The report will be available at Annual Report

----

Video recordings of past Council meetings are available (generally available within two business days of a meeting).