By Renee Wood
Yarra Ranges Council is pushing the State Government to reclassify the LGA as ‘peri-regional’ in a bid to provide more funding opportunities.
Currently classified as metropolitan, Yarra Ranges Council, businesses and charities are unable to apply for regional funding streams.
Councillors voted unanimously to endorse the advocacy for the new status at the Tuesday 12 July Ordinary Council Meeting to better support the outer more regional communities.
Mayor Jim Child said the new status would unlock regional funding from State and Federal Governments across all sectors including agriculture, tourism and the environment.
“It’s not just about council having access to those funds, it’s about community groups and the like having access to those funds and currently we need to dip into urban funding streams to deliver regional projects it just doesn’t seem right,” Cr Child said.
The move would still see the LGA retain its metropolitan classification and at the meeting it was assured it won’t affect the green wedge zoning.
It’s a joint push with the Mornington Peninsula Shire who are also an interface council facing similar disadvantages.
A report commissioned by both councils has analysed and highlighted the peri-regional request and which has been provided to the State Government.
Cr Child believes the request should be considered for its “due fairness” following the five councils – Baw Baw, Bass Coast, Surf Coast, Moorabool and Golden Plains – who have been considered ‘peri-urban’ to have access to urban funding such as the Growing Suburbs Fund.
“We all know Councillors that that fund was really set up for the interface councils, us, and now we’ve got a peri-urban group of councils, five councils, that have access to the growing suburbs fund,” Mayor Child said.
“What I’m saying here tonight is about due fairness. We need to have that same access to those State Government regional growth funds and this to me is a very simple exercise.
“It only involves two municipalities that have the largest components of green wedge and I think it’s appropriate our rural communities have access to those funds.”
Councillor Fiona McAllister also believes the status could have benefits in the future regarding planning and policies.
“It might see changes to state policy where we need it that better serve our community, particularly like those we saw and we requested to change during Covid in terms of our classification,” Cr McAllister said.
“This isn’t about changing anything profound in terms of Yarra Ranges, we continue to be the council we are serving the community we serve but it seeks to get the acknowledgement that there are very unique elements that we share with the Mornington Peninsula Shire.”
