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Projects that support local community service providers and businesses, strengthen social connection, enhance the natural environment and ensure that community infrastructure is accessible and inclusive for everyone are at the heart of Yarra Ranges Council’s advocacy priorities ahead of this year’s State election.

Last week Council’s State Election Advocacy Priorities were endorsed at a public Council meeting, in an effort to secure funding commitments for projects that would deliver strong outcomes for the Yarra Ranges community.

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Jim Child, said that Council was enthusiastic about wanting to work with the Victorian Government and other partners to make Yarra Ranges an even better place to live, work and visit.

“It’s an exciting time for our community, with a whole range of major projects and initiatives planned for delivery in the near future, all of which are vital to allowing us to continue to thrive as a region,” Cr Child said.

“Over the next month or so we hope to sit down and engage incumbent governments, Ministers, MPs and opposition candidates and take them through our vision for the region and how, with their support, we can continue to be a region of choice for people to live, work, invest in and visit.”

Cr Child said that the development of these advocacy priorities was largely borne out of Council’s strategic documents, all of which took shape through extensive community engagement.

“All of these initiatives we are pushing for are closely linked to the strategies and policies that our community has helped us put together.”

“It’s really key for us that no matter what we do at Council, we’re aligning our initiatives with the vision we have so we can continue to deliver great, and relevant, outcomes for the community.”

“We think that what we’ve put forward will really resonate with our community.”

Council has focused its attention on four key areas:

• Economic Development and Investment – including initiatives such as acquiring peri-regional status, Ridges and Rivers, and lighting upgrades.
• Sustainable Environment – including Greening the Suburbs, an expansion of the Firestick program and energy transition.
• Integrated Transport – including Lilydale Railway Line, Lilydale Bypass and upgrades to our paths and trails connections
• Connected and Healthy Communities – including improvements to the Lilydale Youth Hub, more initiatives for our community recovering from the 2021 storms, and telecommunications improvements.

Cr Child said that Council’s advocacy agenda had come at an important time for Yarra Ranges in the aftermath of pandemic restrictions and impacts from the storm.

“We know that the last two and a half years have been challenging for our community, but if we can receive that government support to deliver these major projects, it will go a long way in continuing to make the Yarra Ranges one of the state’s most loved treasures.”

For more details on Council’s advocacy agenda, visit .