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 2022/23(PDF, 20MB) 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 Annual Report contains independently audited financial and performance statements for the 2022/23 financial year.

Hard copies of both documents will also be made available for inspection at Council's Customer Service Centres in Drouin and Warragul. 

Council noted the Annual Report of Operations 2022/23 and approved and signed the Financial and Performance Statements at an Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday 25 October 2023.

Highlights of the year

Listed below are a selection of highlighted Council achievements for the 2022/23 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 2022/23.(PDF, 20MB)

A Sustainable Shire

Throughout 2022/23, Baw Baw Shire Council achieved a number of important milestones on our mission to promote the sustainability of our towns and villages, and ensuring our community continues to benefit from our beautiful rural and natural environment for years to come.

Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2022-2030

In September 2022, Council adopted the Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2022-2030, the key strategic document that details Council’s environmental management and sustainability goals, aspirations and commitments until 2030.

Through the strategy, Council aims reduce energy use and emissions, support sustainable and resilient communities, protect the natural environment and shift towards a more circular economy. Each goal is supported by number of practical strategic initiatives.


Waste service transition planning

Throughout 2022/23, Council commenced waste service transition planning, including the initiation of several waste education initiatives to get our community ready for changes like the introduction of food organics and garden organics (FOGO) to kerbside collections, the introduction of separate glass recycling bins and Victoria’s new container deposit scheme.


Revolving Sustainability Fund

Council’s Revolving Sustainability Fund (RSF) was initiated to ensure that cost savings from energy efficiency initiatives may be reinvested back into sustainability projects.

Thanks to projects including the LED Street Light Bulk Changeover Program (which saw the replacement of 1,230 inefficient streetlights) and the Solar Systems project (which saw the installation of solar panel systems on several Council buildings), 2022/23 marked the first year of accrued savings into the RSF.

Those savings will be put towards new sustainability projects, guaranteeing further environmental benefits to Council and the community, and generating further savings which can be in turn invested into new projects in coming years to perpetuate the cycle.


Sustainable caretaking of Council owned and managed land

Council oversees and maintains a vast expanse of 626 hectares (6,266,362 square meters) of public open spaces, encompassing everything from parks and gardens to bushlands, wetlands and other natural environments.

In 2022/23 Council integrated an additional 10,000 square meters of land from development sites. Despite facing challenges such as heavy rainfall and periodic resource constraints, Council’s care and dedication has ensured the delivery of a highly rated services, consistently earning the appreciation of our residents as evidenced by annual Community Satisfaction Survey results.

A Healthy Community

Council is committed to providing a healthy community for all Baw Baw Shire residents. Throughout 2022/23, Council recorded a number of major achievements in support of our goal to support healthy people in connected, inclusive and resilient communities.

A healthy transition out of COVID-hit recent years was typified by surging attendance figures at our leisure centres and outdoor pools. The Warragul Leisure Centre registered a 66 per cent increase in attendance on the previous year, boasting 407,562 patrons. Seasonal outdoor pools, meanwhile, recorded a a 31 per cent increase to 9,699 patrons.

Council’s commitment to progressing gender equity and recognising significant local women took positive steps forward. The newly constructed female-friendly amenities at Warragul’s Western Park were named the Liza Pharaoh Pavilion, after the local leader and netball legend following a selection process through Council’s Place Names Advisory Committee. In Drouin’s Civic Park, a life-sized bronze sculpture celebrating the contributions and leadership of three local Kurnai women, Dorothy Hood, Euphemia Mullet Tonkin and Regina Rose, was unveiled in May 2023 coinciding with National Reconciliation Week.

Earlier in the year, Council marked NAIDOC week by collaborating with the First Nations Community and Victoria Policy to deliver the first ever Deadly Hoops basketball game and clinic (a program that was greatly expanded upon in July 2023).

Our community’s cultural fabric continued to be enriched as we celebrated the conferment of citizenship to 134 new Australians at three ceremonies throughout the year.

Literacy, creativity, and engagement with the youngest members of our community was supported by the Paint Baw Baw REaD Early Years Expo held in June 2023 at West Gippsland Arts Centre. The event saw an overwhelming response, bringing together over 700 enthusiastic children and families.

Following Council’s transition out of Aged and Disability Service delivery at the end of the 2021/22 financial year, we continued to actively support residents transitioning to new services throughout 2022/23 via a dedicated transition support resource.

A Thriving Community

Council is committed to supporting thriving, diverse and resilient communities. Throughout the 2022/23 financial year, Council recorded significant achievements to support a strong economy, deliver education, tourism and cultural offerings to help our region flourish, and build and maintain future ready infrastructure.

Land use planning, economic development and advocacy

Council marked a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering robust economic development and land use planning, ushering in a new Economic Land Use Strategy (ELUS). The ELUS is a comprehensive industrial and commercial land supply framework encompassing the entire Shire. It is designed to ensure that sufficient land and floor space is allocated to propel economic growth and attract pivotal regional investment to support our booming population.

Council’s land use planning is being backed by committed advocacy efforts at all levels of government on behalf of the Baw Baw community. Throughout the financial year, the Mayor, Councillors, Executive and senior Council Officers engaged with both State and Federal governments and agencies to further our region’s priorities and lobby for pivotal investments in key infrastructure and economic development initiatives, including:

  • The Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct Stage 1 - Library and Learning Centre.
  • Upgrade planning for the state-managed Drouin and Warragul arterial road networks.
  • The development of a Logistics and Employment Hub at Longwarry.
  • Securing resources to cater for rapid regional growth and industry transition.

Early-years education and services

In a significant advocacy win, Council successfully petitioned the State Government to bolster kindergarten infrastructure within the Baw Baw Shire with a new 132-place, dual-room kindergarten at Drouin West Primary School set to commence enrolments in 2023.

In October 2022, Council’s Family Day Care service underwent a rigorous Assessment and Rating process, and we are delighted to announce that the service was awarded an ‘Exceeding the National Quality Standards’ rating.

In February 2023, we opened the doors on the Drouin West Kindergarten, equipped to accommodate 66 children, and unveiled an extension to the existing Longwarry Kindergartens, which added an additional 22 places.

Finally, in May 2023, we secured $272,000 in funding towards Kindergarten planning for the ‘Best Start, Best Life’ reforms across three separate grants.


Future ready infrastructure delivery and management

Baw Baw Shire Council has made significant strides to ensure our delivery of new infrastructure can keep pace with the Shire’s rate of growth. Within the Warragul and Drouin growth sectors, Council successfully delivered over 485 residential lots and oversaw the delivery of $13.7 million of infrastructure projects, including new roads, drains, and reserves.

Council is equally committed to maintaining and managing our existing infrastructure and assets. It is no small feat; in 2022/23 Baw Baw Shire Council ticked over just under $1 billion ($990,000,000) worth of assets under management on behalf of our community. This expansive portfolio comprises buildings, roads, footpaths, drainage systems, bridges, and open spaces.

In the 22/23 span, Council undertook 235,000 square metres of road resealing projects, coupled with 31,000 square metres of large pavement repairs across our network. To put it into perspective, this resealing and repairs are equivalent to to covering the surface of the MCG nearly 13.5 times.


Major recreation projects

Council progressed a trio of major projects that reflect our dedication to community enhancement and active living:

Bellbird Park Recreation Reserve – New Carpark: Stage One of a major multi-year project to construct a new pavilion at Drouin’s Bellbird Park, this is the most expansive carpark project in Council’s history. Comprising 186 parking spaces, it was successfully completed in November 2022 despite the challenges posed by one of the wettest winters on record and a series of unforeseeable ground-related challenges.

Western Park Netball Pavilion and Courts - The enhancements at the Western Park Recreation Reserve encompassed the construction of a new, fully compliant and modern female friendly netball pavilion with two player changerooms and one umpire changeroom. With construction contracted to a locally owned building company, the pavilion proudly carries the name of local netball icon, Liza Pharaoh, and was officially opened in May 2023.

Warragul Leisure Centre Stadium Expansion - Council commenced the expansion of the Warragul Leisure Centre in December 2022, contracting the locally owned Kubale Constructions to deliver this pivotal recreation infrastructure project. Early-stage works were completed by January 2023, and construction is now in full swing with with the in-ground works completed, concrete slabs poured and the steel framing put up. Completion is on track and scheduled for mid-2024.

Council Supporting a Sustainable, Healthy, and Thriving Community

Throughout the 2022/23 financial year, Council recorded major internal organisational achievements which support and enhance Council’s capacity to deliver on the Council Plan’s strategic initiatives.

Improvement to Community Grants Policy and process:

Each year Baw Baw Shire Council’s Community Grants program supports not-for-profit community groups and organisations with hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding towards projects that help to build a thriving, healthy and sustainable Baw Baw.

In 2022/23, following a thorough review of the program, Council introduced a new and improved application process and grant guidelines to make it easier for more groups to apply and receive Council support.

To inform the enhanced process, Council undertook targeted and broad stakeholder consultation over three stages from November 2022 to May 2023, to identify where improvements could be made.

The outcome of that process is a revamped program that features:

  • Pre-application advice.
  • An easy-to-use single application form, tailored to the application.
  • An updated policy with greater clarity around what can and cannot be funded.
  • Easy-to-read guidelines to support applicants through the process and understand, timelines eligibility and assessment criteria.
  • Opportunity for auspicing arrangements.

Enhanced community engagement and participation:

The 2022/23 financial year saw the introduction of several measures aimed at deepening engagement and ensuring transparent, inclusive communication with the Baw Baw community.

An expanded ‘Council Pop-Up’ program visited locations outside of Baw Baw’s major population centres, including Tanjil South, Rokeby, and Neerim South, and established a presence at major events including Farm World and the Thorpdale Potato Festival. The ‘Meet the Mayor Mondays’ program is further bridging the gap between Council and the people, giving residents a direct channel to the Mayor.

In a move to promote participatory governance, the return of Open Community Briefings saw community groups presenting directly to Council, while Council also addressed 76 Questions on Notice and 119 Submissions from the community at Ordinary Council Meetings.

Improvements in engagement occurred online as well as face-to-face. Council recorded a 15.8% increase in our total social media following, hitting a total of 26,834 (more than one third of the entire population). Council content registered 291,675 engagements from 5,903,472 impressions, achieving a 4.9% engagement rate—a 19.4% increase on the previous year’s engagement, and surpassing typical industry benchmarks.

Additionally, Council effectively managed 281 media enquiries and interview requests, and issued 153 media releases, underlining our commitment to transparent communications and keeping our community and local media informed.


Financial excellence

In the past financial year, Baw Baw Shire Council made significant strides in refining financial processes.

Council’s commitment to excellence saw us exceed audit expectations thanks to newly introduced business control enhancements, streamlined workflow management, and efficient accounts processing.

Working with the Treasury Corporation of Victoria enabled Council to strategically refinance loans and undertake borrowing more precisely aligned with project delivery timelines. Further, Council achieved improved returns on investment by diversifying funds across multiple lending institutions and optimising cash flow management.

Working more closely with neighbouring Gippsland councils, meanwhile, has facilitated collaborative procurement opportunities to achieve economies of scale. Additionally, planning has begun on a transition to a new finance system that will allow for further refinement of business practices in the years ahead.


Planning efficiencies

Throughout 2022/23 Council began implementing a series of responses to service review findings and community feedback, including investment in significant improvements to Statutory Planning business processes and systems. These investments are delivering new and improved workflows, enhanced reporting and customer communications, and better integration between planning software programs.

Although a work in progress, initial indications point towards increased efficiencies in planning application processing and an improved, more transparent experience for customers.

 

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.