Highlights of the year

Strategic objective 1: Connecting communities

We will continue to maintain all the roads, paths, buildings and open spaces in our built environment in a financially, environmentally and socially sustainable way.

Achievements

• Construction contract awarded for Stage 1 of the

Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct, with the first sod turned in May 2022. $15 million Australian

Government funding commitment towards Stage 2 of the precinct pledged in May 2022. • Design and construct contract awarded for the

Macedon Ranges Shared Trails project. • Council partnered with the Department of Education and Training and the Victorian School Building Authority to deliver the first Macedon Ranges Shire kindergarten on a school site. The purpose-built, start-of-the-art, 66-place kindergarten is located on Kyneton Primary

School in Edgecombe Street and opened on the first day of term one in 2022. • Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan was endorsed by

Council in September 2021 and formally launched at three events during the Autumn Festival on Dja Dja

Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung

Country, respectively. • An extensive program of road maintenance works including 61.16 kilometres of gravel roads resheeted, 9,342m2 asphalt resurfaced, 201,438.5m2 spray sealed roads resurfaced, and 7.86 kilometres of sealed roads reconstructed.

‘Journey’, Autumn Festival, Malmsbury Botanic Gardens

Strategic objective 2:

Healthy environment, healthy people

To promote a healthy environment, and healthy people, Council aims to support mental health, prevent violence against women, and improve healthy lifestyles, social connection and inclusion, community safety, and arts and culture.

Achievements

• Council’s Healthy Landscapes for Healthy Livestock project was selected as the winner in the Healthy

Environment category of the 2021 Premier’s

Sustainability Awards. This program—which is now called the ‘Healthy Landscapes: Practical Regenerative

Agricultural Communities program’—has been extended until 2024 in partnership with Hepburn

Shire Council, the City of Greater Bendigo, A Healthy

Coliban Catchment project (North Central Catchment

Management Authority and Coliban Water), Melbourne

Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network. • In a collaborative effort with Bushfire Recovery Victoria,

Council’s flagship storm waste facility at Romsey processed 63,000 tonnes of green waste from across

Victoria in just six months. Local crews and specialist machinery were sourced for the job, including four

Lucas mills, two tub-grinders for mulching, specialised firewood processing machinery, a weighbridge and forestry forwarders. • The Primary School Mental Health Project delivered

Tuning into Kids training to 23 parents of primary school students in the shire. The Tuning into Kids training forms part of significant consultation in developing a holistic mental health education program for children, parents and teachers of grade five and six students. Two schools have been selected to help shape and trial the pilot program in term four, 2022. • Council established the Youth Mental Health Advocacy

Group (YMHAG) to lead advocacy and action in improving mental health support for young people in the Macedon Ranges. • Kyneton Town Hall upgrade took place from May to

December 2021, completing improvements to the hall’s exterior façade, including installing additional lighting and enhancing the heritage aesthetic. These works supported a return to a busy arts and culture schedule that saw large numbers of attendees throughout the year and saw inspiring artists sell out shows.

Strategic objective 3: Business and tourism

Council will provide an economic environment that promotes business diversity, tourism, housing, transport, information technology and communications, and employment opportunities.

Achievements

• Council encouraged businesses to become involved in the second annual shire-wide Autumn Festival through involvement in the Pie and Tart Trail and hosting their events. Council supported businesses, local artists, and performers through the Outdoor Activation Fund and Council COVID Recovery funding to deliver events and activities as part of the Autumn Festival

Program. Held throughout March and April, the Festival showcased the incredible talent of Macedon Ranges’ artisans and performers, fantastic produce and scenic autumn experiences in the region. Festival events attracted over 15,000 attendees across five weekends. • Council delivered a third round of the Business

Continuity and Resilience Program (BCRP), which provided vouchers to access local professional service providers to support small business operators to deal with COVID-19 impacts and investigate opportunities for alternate business methods.

Strategic objective 4:

Deliver strong and reliable government

We will foster economic vitality in a way that promotes positive individual and community health outcomes, including business diversity, housing, transport and employment options. Investment attracted to the shire will be consistent with Council’s vision.

Achievements

• Introducing a Gender Equality Action Plan 2022–2025.

The implementation of this plan will assist with making the Macedon Ranges Shire Council a workplace of choice that is a leader in gender and intersectional equality. Alongside the Gender Equality Act 2020 (VIC), it is a means of addressing longstanding gender inequalities within the Victorian community.

Challenges and future outlook

Challenges

• Ongoing storm recovery efforts and supporting community resilience. • Ongoing pandemic relief and recovery efforts. • Increased emergency management planning. • Continuing advocacy efforts for a range of priority projects as outlined in the Priority Projects 2022 prospectus. • Planning for and management of autumn leaf visitations. • Continuing to improve accessibility standards throughout the shire. • Delivery of fair and workable planning controls.

The future

In the year ahead Council plans to: • Deliver the Woodend corridor study. • Embed the new Gender Equality Action Plan across the organisation. • Collaborate with Loddon Mallee partners and across Council to coordinate, support, engage and recognise volunteers. • Increase engagement and participation at events which celebrate LGBTIQA+ people, including but not limited to raising Rainbow Flag event for International

Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and

Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), youth-focused initiatives and events held in partnership with key stakeholders. • Finalise a Zero Net Emission Plan for Council operations. • Continue to see a decrease in the tonnes of waste, with an increase in kerbside collection waste diverted from landfill per capita. • Finalise the Woodend Five Mile Creek Master Plan. • Implement goals of the Small Business Friendly Charter. • Deliver the third Autumn Festival. • Implement a new Risk Strategy and Risk Register. • Ensure Council staff complete the required online training. • Develop and implement the Community

Engagement Guidelines. • Further work will also be undertaken to progress the Gisborne Futures strategic planning project and associated planning scheme amendment and the

Romsey Structure Plan.