Annual Report
Each year Baw Baw Shire Council makes its Annual Report of Operations and Financial Report readily available for public inspection.
The Annual Report of Operations 2021/22 (Print Version)(PDF, 17MB) is the primary means of advising the Baw Baw Shire Council community about Council's operations and performance during the past financial year. It contains highlights significant achievements and provides financial summaries as well as detailed reports on Council's actions, initiatives and achievements measured against the Council Plan 2021-2025.
The Financial Report 2021/22(PDF, 3MB) contains independently audited financial and performance statements for the 2021/22 financial year.
Hard copies of both documents will also be made available for inspection at Council Customer Service Centre in Drouin.
Council noted the Annual Report of Operations 2021/22 and approved and signed the Financial and Performance Statements at an Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday 26 October 2022.
Highlights of the year
Listed below are a selection of highlighted Council achievements for the 2021/22 financial year, listed by their relevant Strategic Initiative in the Council Plan 2021-2025. For a more in-depth list, please download the Annual Report 2021/22.
A Sustainable Shire
Achievements:
- Achieved a 17% reduction in roadside weed management requests from the community compared with the previous financial year, as a result of Council’s 2021/22 Roadside Weed and Pests Program.
- Successfully onboarded Council’s Natural Environment Field Maintenance Team.
- Signed into long term electricity provisions contracts for its street lighting and large facilities/sites via the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO), which includes the use of 100% renewable energy from 1 July 2022.
- Awarded the new Transfer Stations Management Services contract to Future Recycling (commencing 1 July 2022). The contract includes environmental performance incentives to encourage higher recycling and recovery rates at each transfer station and reduce the amount of materials being landfilled.
- Awarded the new At Call Hard Waste contract to WM Waste Management Services (commencing 1 October 2022). The contract includes environmental performance incentives to encourage higher recycling and recovery rates to minimize the amount of material being landfilled.
- Completed analysis to better understand the potential risk of climate change on the organisations operations.
- Converted over 800 inefficient streetlights across the municipality to the most energy efficient LED lighting, through Stage 3 of Councils LED Streetlighting Program. This project is funded through the Governments Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
- Began works for an improved facility at the Warragul Council Depot to handle street sweeping materials in a more environmentally friendly way.
- As part of the Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct Stage 1, Council has committed to building a sustainable project through attaining the highest GreenStar rating achievable within the constraints of the project.
A Healthy Community
Achievements:
- Commenced Stage 1 of the Warragul Leisure Centre Expansion with funding received through Sports Recreation Victoria and the Changing Places program. The design and tender for the main contract was also completed, with the main contract set to commence around September 2022.
- Commenced Phase 1 construction of the Multi-Use Pavilion at Bellbird Park, Drouin – a new female friendly, multi-use facility for users of the eastern section of Bellbird Park, including hockey, soccer and cricket clubs, schools and the general community.
- Developed and instigated Council’s proactive urban zone maintenance program, resulting in a 26% reduction in community requests for maintenance, compared with the 2020/21 financial year.
- Developed and instigated Council’s proactive street sweeping program, resulting in an 18% reduction in community requests for maintenance since the program commenced.
- Achieved a further 8% reduction in community requests for open space maintenance compared to the 2020/21 financial year.
- Completed a two-year project to construct a state-of-the-art, multi-use pavilion at Trafalgar Recreation Precinct. The Pavilion is the new home of the Trafalgar Victory Football Club and Trafalgar Boxing Club and is available for use by community and school groups.
- Constructed more than 2,800 metres of new concrete footpaths through the delivery of Council’s Accelerated Footpath Program.
- Started the redevelopment and upgrade of netball facilities at Western Park, Warragul to deliver new netball courts and a female-friendly pavilion.
- Purchased the Bushland Reserve at Roberts Court, Drouin for future community use.
A Thriving Community
Achievements:
- Undertook more than 250,000 sq m of road resealing across the Council road network.
- Undertook more than 20,000 sq m of road pavement repairs to address localised failures across the Council road network.
- Appointed Croxon Ramsay architects as the lead consultant to develop the adopted Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct Stage 1 Library and Learning concept design through to tender ready documentation.. A dedicated Project Reference Group was also established to provide oversight and act as the voice of the community providing feedback into the design.
- Supervised and ultimately accepted handover of $22.3 million of civil infrastructure from subdivisions. In the same period 631 new lots were created through subdivisions.
- Endorsed the Economic Development and Visitor Economy Strategy 2022-2025 which will shape the economic future of Baw Baw Shire across the four pillars: Leadership and Advocacy, Business Attraction and Investment, Business and Workforce Development and Visitor Economy and Major Events.
- Supported more than 800 businesses through a Business Support Program designed to start, grow, and support businesses at all stages of their journey.
- Hosted a range of business development and networking events including a Women in Business event which attracted more than 160 attendees. This event featured Olivia White - a well known social media identity and entrepreneur - and a panel of outstanding local businesswomen for an evening full of inspiration and valuable advice to help local women meet their business goals.
- Delivered a suite of projects and events utilising the Victorian Government’s Outdoor Activation Funding, including the Baw Baw Eat and Explore web platform, outdoor fitness classes, live music, family-friendly events, workshops and other initiatives in partnership with local businesses.
- Supported the Noojee community’s Bronze-winning entry in the Victorian Tourism Industry Tiny Tourism Town Awards.
- Hosted a range of events to attract visitors to the region, including Esports at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, the Australian 4 Day Enduro event, the Adventure Junkie Baw Baw Extreme Challenge and the Hogget Kitchen x Walhalla fine dining experience.
Council Supporting a Sustainable, Healthy, and Thriving Community
Achievements:
- Finalised and adopted the new long-term Community Vision, based on an extensive program of deliberative and community engagement to understand and prioritise the municipal community’s aspirations for the future.
- Developed and adopted a new Council Plan 2021 – 2025, which aligns with the Community Vision, and sets the four-year road map for the term of the current Council.
- Increased the productivity of Capital Works Delivery, which resulted in approximately $9 million more infrastructure projects delivered than in the 2020/21 financial year.
- Reviewed the Community Engagement Policy after its first year of operation, following the deliberative engagement for the new Community Vision and Council Plan.
- Commenced the development of a longterm plan for Council services, the Strategic Service Plan.
- Undertook a comprehensive program of staff engagement to understand staff and customer experience of Council systems, as the first phase to developing a long-term IT Roadmap for the organisation.
- Delivered ongoing corporate planning and strategy functions to the organisation to enable service delivery, including business and service planning, performance monitoring and reporting and administration of the Local Government Performance Reporting Framework.
- Maintained continuity in Customer Service provision despite the significant challenges presented by COVID-19. In particular, the Drouin Reception has remained open, and has not experienced any unscheduled closures.
- Achieved a higher than 80% success rate across all channels for resolving customer enquiries at the first point of contact.
- Achieved a total of 303,013 engagements (reactions, comments and shares) across Council’s social media channels, a 37% increase on the previous financial year.
Previous Annual Reports
To view an online version of previous annual reports from the financial years 2015/16 through 2021/22, see the links under 'Related Information' at the foot of this page.
To obtain a copy of earlier annual reports please email Council or call 5624 2411.