Yarra Ranges Council has voted to note the Eastern Region Group of Councils (ERG) 2025-2029 Strategic Plan at the Tuesday 24 June council meeting.
The ERG consists of the five neighbouring councils of Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges who regularly collaborate in partnership programs, project and advocacy.
The five councils account for a population of 746,067 (14 per cent of Greater Melbourne’s total population), 282,120 hectares of land (28 per cent of Greater Melbourne) and a gross domestic product of $49,478 million (about 11 per cent of Greater Melbourne’s total).
Deputy Mayor and Chirnside War Councillor Richard Higgins said he is one of the two councillors that attends the ERG meetings monthly.
“Without a word of lie, it’s a really good thing for our council to be involved in, it’s Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges and it’s a combined effort by these councils to meet and try and make some strategic ideas to actually save us many things, from money to doubling up on things etc, and get a big strong voice from our Eastern area,” he said.
“In the past, I have had my little bit of a doubt which direction it is but now after seeing this document I actually see we’ve got a really defined way forward and I’m happy to say that I’m really happy with what they’ve actually come up with,”
“I know most of you have read it and understand it but some of the things that we can partner on are just amazing, it’s just going to go from strength to strength if we get it right and for the small annual contribution that we do at $35,000 to have our executive officer Elizabeth Johnson down there put this all together and help us combine it all, it’s a really worthy thing to do.”
Cr Higgins used the example of the councils partnering up on debt collection by contracting debt collectors through one amalgamated contract in order to save unnecessary costs.
“This is another example of the collaborative approach we’re seeing in a range of areas that Council are involved with and as Cr Higgins has indicated, we do end up saving significant sums of money and for that reason, I support the recommendation,” Lyster Ward Councillor Peter McIlwain said.
In the five-year strategic plan, ERG representatives have identified five key priorities, focused on improving outcomes for people, places, the economy and the environment in the region, that they hope to achieve through 14 strategic initiatives in that time span.
Priority one is to build shared services and increase joint procurement initiatives, priority two is to enhance regional infrastructure initiatives, priority three is the transform movement in the East initiative, priority four is to support community safety initiatives and priority five is to develop local employment initiatives.
Some specific initiatives the ERG will look to implement are a shared services roadmap, an integrated vision for IT services, piloting shared services and joint procurements, a community infrastructure needs analysis, an open space connectivity strategy, a sustainable and integrated transport plan, a community safety regional roundtable, fostering cooperative economic development opportunities and developing pathways for artists in the east.
All other initiatives relate to the ongoing governance, operations and advocacy of the ERG.
