External advocacy

Council is very disappointed that legislation for the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) Levy has passed through the Victorian Parliament in a rushed way, and without a full assessment being undertaken of its impacts on rural and regional communities and local government areas.

Council acknowledges the capping of the ESVF Levy at the 2024-25 rate for all primary producers for the coming financial year. However, it does just pause the pain for a year, and this will have to be confronted, on the back of a drought affected season for the sector.

In addition to the significant increases that most sectors of our community will experience from the introduction of the new ESVF Levy, we expect there will be a substantial additional burden on Council administration in managing – and enforcing – this new process.

Many of these changes will lead to additional costs being incurred by Council, with the impact further borne by ratepayers in the form of reduced available funds to do Council’s own work. It must be noted that Council’s finances and program delivery will be significantly affected if residents choose to pay the Council rates portion only and exclude the ESVF Levy (as many have indicated to us) because Council still needs to submit the proportional funds through to the State.

As endorsed at the May 2025 Council Meeting and following a statement earlier that month, Council has written to the Victorian Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Emergency Services, Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Treasurer, and the Local Member for Macedon in our objection to the levy. We have also written to all Victorian Councils, Rural Councils Victoria and the Municipal Association of Victoria seeking them to unite, and as a collective, oppose the collection of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund Levy.

Council also recently staged a listening post at Newham where the ESVF Levy was a key item for discussion and residents, farmers and business owners openly discussed the strain the levy will have on their circumstances.

A firetruck at the Newham CFA Shed, for the All-Councillor Listening Post on the ESVF Levy and drought on Sunday 15 June 2025.

Council CEO Bernie O'Sullivan (left) and Mayor Dom Bonanno (right) speak at the All-Councillor Listening Post on the ESVF Levy and drought on Sunday 15 June 2025.

The general condition of many of our roads across the shire - both arterial and Council-managed roads - has deteriorated more rapidly in recent years, exacerbated by storm and flood events.

We continue to identify and strategically prioritise upgrades and maintenance to Council-managed roads each financial year through our annual capital works programs and recurring road maintenance programs, in consideration of our regular inspections, annual available budget and community feedback. We actively seek external funding opportunities to support these works, including partnering with the Australian and Victorian governments.

When upgrading our roads, we focus on 'building back better' and consider associated upgrades such as drainage, to make our roads more resilient against severe weather events and increased vehicle usage into the future. With $12.5 million in road works budgeted for 2024-25, you can find a list of current projects planned here.

In July 2024, the RACV's My Country Road survey highlighted the poor condition of several arterial roads within our shire, with three featuring in a list of the top 20 most dangerous in Victoria. These roads were:

• Tylden-Woodend Road, Woodend to Tylden (2nd)
• Kilmore Road, Monegeetta to Gisborne (3rd)
• Kilmore-Lancefield Road, Kilmore to Lancefield (13th)

Council regularly reports these priority road issues to the Department of Transport and Planning and in August 2024, wrote to the Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety, the Hon. Melissa Horne MP, highlighting the public safety issues with key state arterial roads and the need for the urgent repair of these roads.

In October 2024, the Victorian Government announced a road maintenance blitz to be completed in the 2024-25 financial year, including repairs to the roads above. A project page for these works can be found here on the Transport Victoria website.

Council has been advocating to the Victorian Government and the Department of Transport and Planning for a number of years, relating to community and Council safety concerns for the intersection at Urquhart and High streets in Woodend (just outside of the supermarket complex).

At its December 2024 Council Meeting, Council endorsed a Notice of Motion to write to The Hon. Melissa Horne MP, Minister for Roads and Road Safety:

1.  advising of Council and the community’s ongoing daily safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles at the intersection of Urquhart Street and High Street, Woodend;
2. requesting an urgent written response on when a recommendation for treatment to the intersection will be made publicly available for community feedback.

Council's letter to the Minister can be found here(PDF, 462KB).

At the March 2025 Council Meeting, Council endorsed a Notice of Motion relating to the Old Kyneton Primary School site as follows:

Notice of Motion – Old Kyneton Primary School

That Council:

1. Write to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Creative Victoria requesting a comprehensive update on the status and future plans for the Old Kyneton Primary School site, including the following detail at a minimum:

• Confirmation of completed works and certification status;
• Timeline for opening completed areas for public use;
• Schedule and plans for any outstanding works;
• Enabling access to outdoor spaces for public use;
• Identification of the managing organisation, and their commencement timeline;
• Timely communication with all parties who submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI), incorporating the above details; and a
• Commitment to providing monthly progress updates via their website and to subscribed stakeholders.

2. Provide a copy of the letter to the Minister for Creative Industries, the Hon. Colin Brooks MP.

The letter cited can be found here(PDF, 477KB).