Ararat Rural City Council Seeks Community Feedback on Community Vision and Draft Council Plan

Ararat Rural City Council Seeks Community Feedback on Community Vision and Draft Council Plan

Ararat Rural City Council is seeking the community’s feedback on its Community Vision 2035 and Draft Council Plan 2025-29.

The Council Plan 2025-29 is guided by the long-term Community Vision 2035, a document which captures the aspirations of our community, and is characterised by:

Strong population growth trajectories that buck trends in rural Victoria. Continuous and sustainable economic development which is focused on job creation through value adding in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and tourism. Leadership in pragmatic approaches to local environmental management. Sustainable and effective local transport networks underpinned by careful technical and financial planning undertaken jointly between asset users and asset owners. Communities that are enhanced by access to artistic, cultural, sporting and recreational opportunities that meet needs and expectations. Strong and robust democratic processes underpinned by transparent governance, good financial management and organisational innovation.

The Council Plan 2025-2029 highlights six key strategic objectives: growing our place, building robust local economies, preserving the environment, developing and maintaining key enabling infrastructure, enhancing community life, and strong and effective governance.

It sets the strategic direction for Council for the next four years and includes actions related to each of the strategic objectives and further identifies the measures of success, which will form an annual action plan that the Chief Executive Officer and Council staff will implement.

Feedback on the Community Vision 2035 and Draft Council Plan 2025-29 can be submitted over the next six weeks, closing on 9 May 2025.

You can submit your feedback by submitting comments via Engage Ararat: engage.ararat.vic.gov.au/community-vision-2035-and-draft-council-plan-2025-2029, via email [email protected], or mail to PO Box 246, Ararat. Submitters may request to speak in support of their submission.

A final draft of the Community Vision 2035 and Council Plan 2025-29 will be presented at the Council Meeting to be held on 24 June 2025.

“We deeply value our community’s input as we shape the future Ararat Rural City,” says Ararat Rural City Council CEO, Dr Tim Harrison. 

“Your contributions are essential in ensuring our Community Vision 2035 and Council Plan 2025-29 are a true reflection of the aspirations and needs of our community. We are committed to creating a collaborative and inclusive process, and we encourage all residents to actively participate in providing feedback.”