Have your say on key Council plans

Published on 10 July 2025

Council is inviting residents, businesses and community organisations to have their say on five key strategic plans which will guide Council’s direction for the next four years.

Following an extensive community engagement campaign titled 'Shape Baw Baw For The Next Four' which started late last year soon after the Council election, Council in collaboration with community began preparing these draft strategy documents to guide their work for the term ahead.

The following draft plans have been prepared, and further community feedback is being sought:

Draft Council Plan 2025-2029

Draft Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-2029

Draft Asset Plan 2025-2035

Draft Long Term Infrastructure Plan 2025-2035

Draft Financial Plan 2025-2035

The engagement period for all five strategic documents is now open and closes on Sunday 3 August 2025.

Baw Baw Shire Mayor Cr Danny Goss said the input of the community is vital to ensure these plans reflect the values and aspirations of everyone who lives, works and visits Baw Baw Shire.

“During the early engagement campaign, hundreds of community members participated representing all walks of life, ages and areas of the Shire. Together, we’ve developed drafts of the most important strategic documents that will guide much of what we do over our four-year term ahead”, said Cr Goss.

Councillor Kate Wilson said it was important Council heard community feedback on the draft documents.

“These key documents will help best position us so we can respond to challenges, make the most of opportunities, and stay true to our shared values – working together to build a thriving, healthy, and sustainable community. Now we’re asking the community if this aligns with their vision too,” she said.

“The principles and focus areas of these plans will feed into almost all other strategy and policy development, so it’s critical that we hear the community’s feedback on what is proposed.”

More information on each plan and a link to the survey can be found on Council’s engagement platform Baw Baw Connect at Shape Baw Baw For The Next Four

All draft plans were endorsed for consultation at the Wednesday 9 July Council Meeting.

Following this secondary phase of community consultation, feedback will be used to make any required changes to the draft documents before the final plans are presented to Council in October for consideration of adoption.

The five plans are further outlined below.

Council Plan 2025 - 2029

The Council Plan is the key strategic document guiding the priorities, services, and initiatives of Baw Baw Shire Council over the next four years. It outlines how Council will work to improve community wellbeing, infrastructure, the environment, local economy, and governance.

A draft plan has been developed in collaboration with the community through the ‘Shape Baw Baw for the next four’ early consultation campaign, which began in late 2024 soon after the Council election. Hundreds of community members participated – representing all walks of life, ages, and areas of the Shire.

The plan outlines focus areas and resourcing on the community vision goals:

Thriving, diverse and resilient communities,

Healthy people, living in connected communities and healthy environments, and

Sustainable towns and villages that continue to benefit from our beautiful rural and natural environment.

Through early engagement, the top five service priorities to focus on over the four years were identified as:

Community development and health
Shire planning
Transport connectivity
Family and children’s services
Community safety (including emergency management and local laws)

The plan has been prepared per s90 of the Local Government Act 2020.

Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-2029

The Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan outlines evidence-based goals and strategies to support the health and wellbeing of our community over the next four years.

The plan focuses on four priority areas:

Active living
Healthy eating
Wellbeing and resilience
Gender equity and prevention of family violence

It identifies how Council will work with partners to support health and wellbeing in the municipality and how we will address climate health and family violence priorities.

Community input has been central to the draft plan’s development, gathered through a community panel, public survey and a series of engagement sessions facilitated by expert consultants Capire and Council. Building on the foundations of the previous term’s plan, this updated plan looks ahead to the next four years and reflects current community needs and emerging health priorities.

Development of this plan is a legislative requirement for all Council’s under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, Gender Equality Act 2020 and the Local Government Act 2020.

Asset Plan 2025-2035

There are three documents that have been developed to build the Draft Asset Plan 2025-2035.

Asset Management Policy 2025 which outlines the purpose and intention of asset management.

Asset Management Strategy 2025-2029 which outlines how Council will manage assets to best deliver services to our community.

Asset Plan 2025-2035 which outlines the operating and capital expenditure requirements for these assets and aligns their management with Council's other strategic documents (Council Plan, Long Term Infrastructure Plan, and Long Term Finance Plan).

Each document is available for review and comment.

Long Term Infrastructure Plan 2025-2035

The Long Term Infrastructure Plan 2025-2035 (LTIP) outlines Council’s planned capital investments over the next decade, aligned with Council’s strategic objectives and broader planning frameworks.

The LTIP reinforces Council’s commitment to:

Renewing and rehabilitating existing infrastructure
Delivering major strategic capital projects for long-term community benefit

Supporting service delivery through upgrades and new infrastructure

Key highlights of the Draft LTIP over the next 10 years include:

Trafalgar Library reimagined to include a kindergarten (2026/27)

$7.18 million allocated to early years infrastructure

$6 million allocated for upgrades to the Geoff Watt Track (starting 2028/29)

$5 million allocated for a second oval at Trafalgar Recreation Reserve (2026/27)

$5 million allocated to a pavilion upgrade at Longwarry Recreation Reserve (2026/27)

$2.2 million allocated to electrification of the Warragul Leisure Centre (starting 2025/26, subject to successful grant)

$1.67 million allocated to the Drouin Streetscape Project (2025/26).

Financial Plan 2025-2035

The Financial Plan 2025-2035 is a strategic document that aligns Council’s financial resources with its long-term goals for services and infrastructure. It ensures that the Council can deliver outcomes that reflect the Community Vision, using financial forecasts to assess future capacity and guide decisions that support long-term financial sustainability.

The Financial Plan 2025-2035 integrates both financial and non-financial strategies and is reviewed annually to remain responsive to changing economic conditions and evolving community needs. It incorporates a total capital investment of $317 million, comprising $93 million in major strategic projects, $192 million in asset renewals and $32 million in general capital works.

Over the next 10 years, financial projections remain positive, supported by strong liquidity, sufficient reserves, and low indebtedness that provide flexibility and resilience. While the underlying operating result shows a modest deficit and capital renewal indicators dip slightly from 2028/29, these trends present opportunities for continued proactive planning to uphold Council’s commitment to long-term sustainability.