By Oliver Winn
The Yarra Ranges Council delivered its mid-year report on Tuesday 8 April, claiming it’s largely on track for the goals it set out in its 2021-2025 Council Plan.
Out of the five key strategic objectives, all of the actions were either “on track” or “completed”, with the exception of one action under the quality infrastructure and liveable places key strategic objective.
The 2021-2025 Council Plan is the planning document for the four year electoral term, while the mid year report is a performance update for the first half of the 2024-2045 financial year.
Yarra Ranges Council deputy mayor Richard Higgins said the progress report shows the council was aligned with its long term vision for 2036.
“There are now eight major initiatives progressing and set to be closed out in the financial year, which is good, and 35 council actions under lining in the plan, five are complete and 29 are on track for completion, one has ceased,” Cr Higgins said.
Its five key strategic objectives were as follows:
Connected and healthy communities, protected and enhanced natural environment, quality infrastructure and liveable places, vibrant economy, agriculture and tourism and high performing organisation.
The action to establish a Development Contributions Plan (DCP) has ceased.
In the past, DCPs allowed councils to charge developers a small fee of a build to fund infrastructure projects – this meant fairer distribution in funding infrastructure projects in the area by having developers contribute funds.
But, due to not enough planning applications, and recent changes made by the State Government, the DCP wasn’t viable for the Yarra Ranges Council anymore and therefore it was stopped.
A draft DCP was assessed at a council forum on 23 January 2024 where the chief executive officer Tammi Rose determined it wasn’t feasible to continue with the plan.
Eight major initiatives were also shown to be on track in the mid-year report.
The initiative to improve Aboriginal health and wellbeing was said to be on track, with the council pointing towards the Aboriginal health facility, Healesville Belonging Place, being developed by Oonah Health and Community Services Aboriginal Corporation.
Its second initiative was to become a world class trails and eco-tourism destination, with examples of the Warburton Mountain Bike Destination, Yarra Valley Trail and ngurrak barring being on schedule for completion.
The third initiative was the implementation of a Biodiversity Plan, which was stated as on track in the report.
The plan provided guidance when managing land in partnership with bodies such as DEECA and friends of groups.
Reducing the council’s ecological footprint was outlined as its fifth initiative, with the council’s transition to 100 per cent renewable electricity being established in 2022 through the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO), a 10-year contract involving over 50 Victorian councils.
As of July 2023, Yarra Ranges has reduced its emissions by 48 per cent compared with the 2004/2005 baseline.
The other initiatives outlined as on track were:
Improve mental health outcomes, strengthen social connections, and provide accessible mental health services,
Prioritising places for activity centres and town centres,
Achieve greater emergency planning, focus on traditional cultural burning practices,
And the Build Back Better approach to economic recovery and adaptation activities.
