Council's advocacy efforts continue

Published on 28 August 2024

Gannawarra Shire Council is continuing to advocate on major issues that are impacting residents.

Council’s leaders spent time in Canberra and Bendigo last week, speaking to politicians and advisors on various matters, including water management, renewable energy, housing and the funding of local government.

“Council is committed to making the Gannawarra a great place to live for our residents, which means we will work on raising matters that are most concerning to our communities to decisionmakers,” Mayor Ross Stanton said.

“There are various issues occurring at the moment that are affecting, or will affect, our residents, and by working with neighbouring councils, we are playing a role in advocating for change.”

Mayor Stanton joined Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson and other leaders from the Murray River Group of Councils in meeting with Federal Government Ministers and advisors during a two-day delegation to Canberra on 19-20 August. These discussions enabled the group to discuss the Federal Government’s return to the water market to ensure environmental targets outlined in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan are achieved, and the impact this will have on communities along the Murray River.

“As we saw with its previous efforts to undertake a buyback program to achieve environmental targets outlined in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, the Federal Government’s approach will inflict social and economic damage on the Gannawarra,” Mayor Stanton said.

“There are better ways to implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan that will deliver better outcomes for the environment and will leave a sustainable irrigation sector in the area. All we ask is the government works with us and our communities.”

Other topics raised with Ministers and advisors included supporting renewable energy generation throughout the region and the need for investment in infrastructure to support a forecast need for housing in the area.

“As we are seeing with projects such as the VHM Minerals Sands mine at Goschen, VNI West and the various renewable energy initiatives that will result from the installation of this critical electricity transmission connection, more local jobs will be created and, in turn, more houses will be required to accommodate these new residents,” Mayor Stanton said.

Mayor Stanton also represented the Murray River Group of Councils at a Goulburn Murray Irrigation District water summit, held in Bendigo on 23 August. This event enabled Mayor Stanton to speak to Victorian political leaders, including Premier Jacinta Allan, about the Federal Government’s return to the water market.

“Irrigators and rural communities are resilient and adaptable, and if are given some assurance around the future of irrigation, irrigators and communities will make left or right-hand turns, follow new paths and adjust, grow and prosper,” Mayor Stanton said.

“If the Albanese Government continues to not work with our communities and put roadblocks and barriers in place, we risk irrigators and communities doing U-turns and leaving the industry, creating broken communities, reducing high quality food and fibre to Australia and overseas, and increasing the price to consumers.”

Meanwhile, Gannawarra Shire Council joined eight other municipalities from across northern Victoria in presenting at the Victorian Parliamentary Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s Inquiry into Local Government Funding and Services hearing at Bendigo on 21 August.

The presentation enabled Council to elaborate on its submission to the inquiry, which is investigating local government funding and service delivery, the ability of local governments to meet core service delivery objectives, the impact of cost shifting from State and Federal governments to local councils, and local government's revenue structure.

“Gannawarra was one of more than 40 councils to provide a submission to the inquiry, which reflects the challenges the local government sector faces to generate funding to support services our residents rely on,” Mr Rollinson said.

“Our submission included recommendations calling for the Federal Government’s Financial Assistance Grants to be returned to one per cent of federal taxation, improving consultation with the sector around changes to how councils collect funds, and review the way in which the State Government provides funding to councils to support the delivery of services without cost shifting impacts.” 

ABOVE: Mayor Stuart King (Swan Hill Rural City Council)(left), Mayor Liam Wood (Mildura Rural City Council) and Mayor Ross Stanton (right) with Federal Minister for Local Government, Kristy McBain.