Key items considered and endorsed at the December 2025 Council Meeting included:
Draft Biodiversity Strategy for consultation: Council endorsed the release of this updated draft Strategy for community consultation, which will run from 18 December 2025 through to 15 February 2026 – an extended consultation period, considering the upcoming festive season/school holidays.
The refreshed Strategy, which updates Council’s strategy adopted in 2018, responds to legislative changes and is informed by earlier community feedback (about 90 submissions). It focuses on protecting our shire’s unique native plants and animals, improving habitat connectivity, and empowering and educating the community to contribute to positive biodiversity outcomes.
Draft Open Space Strategy consultation outcomes: Council noted the feedback received from recent community consultation on this draft Strategy, which aims to provide strategic direction for the planning, management and delivery of public open space for the next 10 years.
Feedback was invited from Saturday 4 October (supported by a stall at the Woodend Community Farmers' Market) and concluded on Monday 3 November 2025, with 30 written submissions and 51 online survey responses received. This feedback included a majority support for the draft plan overall; requests to upgrade particular facilities; and other comments summarised in the Agenda report.
A report will be presented at the March 2026 Council Meeting to consider the final draft Open Space Strategy for adoption.
Onsite Wastewater Management Plan 2025 – 2030: Council adopted this Plan, which was informed by two earlier stages of community consultation and more than 30 public submissions overall, in addition to being supported by key water authorities.
The Plan sets out a risk-based framework for the regulation, monitoring and management of onsite wastewater systems across the shire and supports Council’s statutory obligations under environmental and public health legislation.
Advocacy Projects Prospectus 2026: Council endorsed a suite of projects to prioritise when it comes to advocacy for external funding, to be designed and outlined in the new Advocacy Projects Prospectus 2026.
Council has a strong track record of identifying and applying for relevant grants to partner with external stakeholders – such as the Australian and Victorian governments – and delivering projects that are of real benefit to the community, as well as supporting key strategic Council priorities.
This new Prospectus includes advocacy priorities such as pushing for Victorian Government accountability on existing commitments or areas of its responsibility; prioritising local roads; protecting our wildlife and enhancing biodiversity; and progressing the outcomes from key master plans.
When fully designed, this Prospectus will be available to view at Advocacy
Draft Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy: Council endorsed this new Policy, which covers AI use at Council in supporting innovation, efficiency and service quality improvements, while also providing guidance and guardrails on supported and prohibited use, governance, monitoring and reporting, compliance, risk, and ethical standards.
Through the creation of this Policy, which was requested at the July 2025 Council Meeting, Council established an AI Working Group to support the implementation and adoption of AI tools across Council, and also drew from the organisation’s existing internal AI Guidelines and Protocols.
The adopted Policy will be uploaded and available to view in full at Policies
Planning permits: Council considered and made decisions on several planning-related matters, including:
- supporting a permit for the use and development of a fire station at 180 Main Road in Riddells Creek;
- refusing a permit for a 9-lot subdivision at 33 Mount St Marys Lane in Kyneton;
- supporting a permit for the use and development of animal husbandry (grazing animal production and others) at 101 Jim Road in Newham;
- refusing a permit for the use and development of a freeway service centre at Romsey Road in Woodend;
- supporting the amendment of a permit and a Section 173 Agreement for a 22-lot resubdivision relating to 9 Trenchard Street/36 Sullivans Road in Woodend.
Additionally, other items were endorsed to:
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set out the monthly Council Meeting dates for 2026, generally on the second-last or last Wednesday of the month at 7pm (except for the December 2026 meeting, to be held on 16 December 2026), as well as scheduling a Submitters Delegated Committee Meeting to hear from Budget 2026-27 submitters online on 4 February 2026;
Petitions were received in relation to:
Reports in response to these petitions will be tabled at the March 2026 Council Meeting.
Meanwhile, reports responding to two past petitions were also tabled, with Council noting:
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In relation to calls to keep private pedestrian gates between Gemlife and Sullivans Road Reserve in Woodend, Council does not endorse these for environmental and other reasons (breaching the endorsed fence plan). These private gates have since been removed, with Council satisfied with the two shared pedestrian access points in place.
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In relation to calls for the development of a master plan for Rangeview Park at Riddells Creek, Council does not support this approach because as a ‘local park’, it would be inconsistent with Council’s adopted open space planning framework.
A Notice of Motion was also carried in relation to Council’s stance on resource recovery – specifically to write to the Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos MP, the Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos MP, Local Member for Macedon Mary Anne Thomas MP, and Head of Recycling Victoria Tony Circelli, to highlight Council’s in-principle support for the introduction of standardised bin contents across Victoria, but to also outline a number of requests to support sensible FOGO use and the ongoing higher diversion of waste to landfill.
Further information on this Council Meeting, including minutes and a meeting recording, can be found on Council’s website: 17 December 2025